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Monday, November 30, 2009

Boxes, Bruises and Bandages

Unpacking those heavy corrugated cardboard dish-pack boxes can be hazardous! I'm sporting bruised knuckles and a bruised elbow because of it! All I can say is OUCH! My knuckles are swollen and achy as well as my elbow, frankly I'm a wreck! I seem to be taking a lot of Motrin lately, all to do with this move and I'm never without an icepack or a heating pad when resting or going to bed. When taking a shower I noticed a new bruise on my thigh- sheesh! This move is certainly taking it's toll on me! I think that I need to wear gloves and thicker trousers!

Now I have made some major breakthroughs in unpacking boxes and my husband has in making/creating storage for us. This is a lovely house but there's just not enough storage in it for us. So I'm purging even more stuff and am also pulling items to have repacked and put into permanent storage. The formal dining room is very recognizable and so is the living room. Now for the rough part, getting the rest of this stuff put away and then decorating for Christmas.

The most frustrating part of this move besides the unrepairable damage) is all of the mislabeled boxes. It's hard enough waiting 5 or more months for ones personal belongings but to open boxes and not have those items in said boxes- well its enough to make you go a little batty after opening say 30 boxes that way. We have been looking everywhere for my husbands ski boots, and the last time we saw them was out in the garage where my husband had put them- next to his skis and poles. Those boots were not in any boxes that were packed in the garage and frankly we were beginning to wonder if those ski boots walked away. And yesterday as my husband and daughter were unpacking boxes in her room they found them- packed in a box labeled "Towels and Lamp"- no mention of ski boots being in the box. But so far the favorite label on boxes is between 2 things it's either marked "craft room" which was starting to get me into hot water with my husband and the other is "Longaberger Baskets". There can be 1 basket in there and suddenly it's plural and the room designation is either the dining room or (yes you guessed it) Craft room. These guys must have thought that the entire house was a Craft Room, LOL! Kitchen cutlery- craft room, husbands winter clothes- craft room Christmas ornaments- now that one was marked for our daughters room, LOL!

Now I've slowed down some today and am taking time to to do some hand-washing of the glassware that I unpacked last night- just the items that won't fit in the dishwasher. There's that and I find the warm water soothing to my hands.

Quote of the Day

If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart.. I’ll always be with you.
~ Winnie the Pooh

Sunday, November 29, 2009

WORK is a 4 letter word

Today's the day we attack the boxes in this house with a vengeance! Sure it's work, but we've got to get this done! I've got so much going on this month that I really HAVE to knock this out this weekend! So it's work work work for us today!

Quote of the Day

We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh.
Agnes Repplier (1855 - 1950), Americans and Others, 1912

Saturday, November 28, 2009

In my element

As I unpack and put things away I feel pieces of myself coming back to me. Creative pieces making their way home. The other day I unpacked a stack of cake plates, it made me want to make cheesecakes! The fancy schmancy ones with chocolate, nuts and all kinds of good things!

So today I'm going to play in my new kitchen. My husband bought me some cool kitchen items like this HUGE wooden cutting board and some drawer organizers too. Friends of ours are having a dinner party and I volunteered to bring dessert :-) I can't begin to tell you how much I adore making and bringing treats to my friends! So the cream cheese has got to be at room temperature by now and I can drink coffee as I bake this special treat. What kind of cheesecake? It's one that I learned in one of my chef classes and one I like to call "A slice of Heaven". It's got 3 different kinds of chocolate. I have one recipe that has chocolate in it 7 different ways- that one is called Death by Chocolate. I'll let you know later how it turns out.

Our Bed

I've been heart broken since the first day the movers showed up with our furniture. Why? Because our beautiful bed was damaged beyond repair some time during the course of the move. I'm not one to go out and just "buy" furniture willy nilly, never have been. Of course there are utility pieces that come from big box stores like my chrome shelves in my scrapbook nook. I did my research on them and thought out and planned on how I would use them. I can tell you where we bought each piece of furniture that is in our home.

I love my friends for trying to console me, trying to cheer me up by telling me that now I can shop for a new bed here in England. For me, buying furniture is not like buying a new scarf, for me it's a process. It's like hunting around in an antique store with a million and one items in it and finding that one little 'gem" of an item be it a teapot, a towel rack or a wine carafe that just speaks to you. The part that no one realizes is that it took us 11 years to find "that bed" our bed. My husband poured his time and soul into finishing the bed, sanding it, staining it finishing it. It was a labor of love. I've made the decision to just get a basic metal bed frame and find a simple headboard and that's it. We'll look again when we get back to the states for a bed.

And yes, this will also get a scrapbook layout made all about it. I've got plans for a series of layouts all to do with the subject of "HOME". How many of us are guilty of taking things for granted? Of over looking something as lovely as a favorite jacket, handbag or pair of shoes? Heaven knows we overlook our furniture all of the time. It's not that I'm at a loss of subject matter to scrap pages about- heaven knows I have even Christmas parties to attend in December that I can make an entire scrapbook about (last count there were 7), LOL! Just remember this...It's the every day things that matter most!

Quote of the Day

A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.
-May Sarton

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Heart of it all...

Every house has a room or a piece of furniture that is the "heart" of the home, mine is the kitchen table. All great things start there- be it coffee with girlfriends, making out grocery lists or having breakfast with the kids before they dart off to catch the bus for school. It's a gathering place that's always full of love. I've done quilting, scrapbooking, rubber stamping/card-making and book reading at that table. I've written some awesome recipes while sitting at that table and our children do their homework there, make arts and crafts projects for school or scouts at that table and have just hung out with their friends...all at that table. It's a place where we all gather to talk about the start or end of our day. I can't help but to smile when I look at it. As strange as it sounds, I've decided to do a scrapbooking layout on it. Now that My Scrapbook Nook is almost all together, I finally feel as if I can finally get on with my creative side and start some new creative projects. Are you ready for a scrapbooking adventure? I know that I most certainly am!

Quote of the Day

Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day's work absorb your entire energies, and satisfy your widest ambition.
Sir William Osler (1849 - 1919), to his students

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving

With such a busy day ahead of me the Lord has seen to keep me hoppin! You see, even though I kept saying (and my family had agreed) that we were to celebrate Thanksgiving on Saturday they all decided last night that they want to celebrate it today. I've already committed myself to serving Thanksgiving dinner to the airmen at our base and I had planned on doing some more unpacking. I'll have to look for the turkey platter as I've not come across it as of yet.

Our son is home sick with a bad stomach bug and he's out for any kind of help. Which leaves my husband- not sure if I want him unpacking my dishes, he's better off organizing the kids bedrooms.

Our house is a cardboard castle. There are opened boxes with things strewn out of them, clutter is everywhere and things are in piles all over the place. I've always been envious of those military wives that can move in and have their entire house organized, pictures hung on the walls and curtains hanging up in a week. Our movers have mislabeled so many boxes I don't know where to begin. One box says Hannah's room but it's stuff from the living room, box marked kitchen is something from a bathroom and so forth.

But Thanksgiving Day it is, regardless of how organized I am (or am not as the case may be). I'm Thankful for so many things in my life. My house will come together soon enough and our friends don't care if things are in boxes and I've got a formal dining room table covered in stacks of dishes and bake ware. They come over to see how we're doing and if they can help...which reminds me- I'm very thankful for the friends we have here in England!

Quote of the Day

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving Eve

I love this time of year, it makes one think about all of the things there are to be thankful for in our lives. Some good, some not so good but in the end I am thankful for it all because without it all, I would not be the person I am today.

So today I give thanks...
  1. That my husband has gainful employment
  2. That Our family is here together
  3. That we have food on the table and that our children don't go to bed hungry
  4. That we have a roof over our heads that protects us from the elements
  5. That our children are getting a good education here in England
  6. That we have health care insurance
  7. That we have warm beds to sleep in
  8. That we have clothing that keeps us warm in these cooler months
  9. That our kitty is happy and healthy
  10. That we have working automobiles to drive
  11. That we are members of a terrific Parish
  12. That I have a loving and thoughtful husband
  13. That I have children who make me laugh every day
  14. That I'm able to see the humor in just about everything
  15. That I'm able to create w/ paper, fabric and food...things that delight others
  16. That I am able to be a SAHM
  17. That I can volunteer my time with our military community
  18. That we live in a lovely town that's close to everything but not too busy
  19. That there are people who volunteer their time in charitable organizations
  20. That I am able to make a difference in my community

Quote of the day

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action
-W. C. Cameron

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

waiting for the cable guy

Here I am, waiting for the cable guy. Here just like back in the USA there's that open window of time when the cable guy is expected to arrive. So, with that in mind, I'll be hanging out here at home from the hours of 8 am until 1 pm. Meanwhile I had planned on using that time to go over to the other house and clear out the kids clothing, vacuum the place and clean the refrigerator...but alas that will have to wait. Every room is scary with packing boxes, with the exception of, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the breakfast area (notice how I don't include the entire room, piles of stuff blocking the door is why), the lounge aka family room. Every where else you'll see stacks of boxes, piles of "stuff" and of course packing paper galore! It's finding places for all of the items, getting the boxes of a 16,000 pound shipment (16 crates) to fit into a little 1 car garage that already has stuff in it. Did I mention that today's weather is atrocious? It's not that it's so cold, it's the fog and the pouring rain and according to weather.com, we're supposed to get some very high winds later on (reminds me greatly of South Dakota). Have I mentioned that this house is heated via radiators? Oh yeah and to be honest, the radiators simply do not crank out the heat like central heating can. My house feels cold today and I feel chilled to the bone! Oh how I miss central heat and air! I feel as if we're living in Maine (again), it was radiator heat there too!

One would think that a week of moving was plenty, but as it is, we're into week #2 and we're still in the moving process. Besides all of the things that I shipped here from South Dakota before we (the kids and I) arrived in June. There's the stuff from crate #1, we've also managed to accumulate a lot of stuff. There's all of those school uniforms, shoes (we're all guilty of buying shoes since arriving here- see, it's not just me), a few Portmeirion and Polish Pottery items (wink wink) plus the kids bicycles, the lawnmower, some gardening equpiment it seems as if my list goes on and on. Basically there's not a soul to do the work with exception of myself and since the spouse is at work all day and the kids are in school. None of them will get home until at least 6 pm and of course it's dark and they're tired and hungry! Lets face it-I'm not about to get any work out of them when they're hungry! It's my kids summertime favorite tonight...burgers and dogs!

Quote of the Day

I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace, a connection to well being.
-Oprah

Friday, November 20, 2009

and the move goes on...

I slept well enough, too bad every joint in my body aches today! I suppose that's what Motrin is for right?

So. here I am gathering items from one house and am bringing them over to the other house...ugh! I'll be doing that all weekend long! Got to love having my family members leaving the house at 6:50 am and not returning home until 6 pm and asking me..."So, what have you done today?"

Quote of the Day

You must rouse into people's consciousness their own prudence and strength, if you want to raise their character.
--Marquis De Vauvenargues

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Moving is not for Wimps

There is some serious labor involved when moving ones self out of one house and into another. The packing and unpacking is enough, lets add in a couple of sets of stairs, loads of dishes, clothing and shoes and well a little "do it yourself move" from one house to another has a whole new meaning. I am worn out and I've only just started.

Now I did think that I was going to wait on putting together my new scrapbook nook, but alas those boxes need to go (there are a lot of them). The funny thing is, there was this old dude packing us up at the other house and he labeled boxes "craft room" that did not have craft room stuff in it. I've opened up boxes with blankets, sheets, stuffed toys, throw rugs and even a mini Christmas tree. Needless to say I pointed that out to my husband. You see, I was starting to get into hot water with him because of all of those boxes marked "craft room". I'm innocent I tell you!!! I've not spent THAT much money, not to mention that I've not bought any craft items in 5 months!!!

If we get moved into that other house by Sunday it will be a miracle! Now for me to drive my minivan full of stuff over to the other house, unload it, put it away and start all over again.

Quote of the Day

When dealing with the insane, the best method is to pretend to be sane.
- Hermann Hesse

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Creating the new Scrapbook Nook

For many months now I've been displaced and have felt distracted and basically out of my element due to not crafting. Well that's soon to change! I took the first steps in creating my new and latest version of my Scrapbook Nook. Having the chrome shelves in place and unpacking items right and left has given me joy and a rekindled desire to get back to creating and designing. And frankly right now at 4 am it's all I can think about. I want to get back over to the house and get working on getting a few things rearranged before wave 2 starts and the movers arrive with more crates of household goods.

Since I haven't seen my crafting things in over 5 months I found that I had to go look at my webshots page and see how I had some things arranged. Sad huh? The thing is, this space is a bit smaller than the last but I do have a closet for added storage. Now for the hitch... there's carpeting. I'm going to need a powerful magnet to pick up metal brads and a vacuum cleaner just for cleaning up all of those little paper snip-its! Stay tuned for pictures in the future.

Quote of the Day

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?
- Laurence J. Peter

Monday, November 16, 2009

Let the fun begin!

What do I live for if not for sarcasm? Okay so sarcasm is not my strong suit but it does lift up my spirits up from time to time, LOL!

Today kicks off insanity week for me....

Monday-
get husband and kids out the door and off to work and school
start load of laundry
Drive into town, see butcher about ordering a fresh turkey
Drive out to RAFC- pick up mail and spouse...
attend a farewell luncheon in Banbury
drop husband back off at work and go home and...
pack minivan with first load of household goods from temporary house
do the walk through of new house with housing inspector (get keys then too)
take pictures of empty home
start bringing over items from temp house and put them in new house

Tuesday-
get husband and kids out the door and off to school and work
Bring over a load of items to new house and put away before movers arrive
Movers will arrive at 8am
I'll be at the new place all day

Wednesday-
Same things at Tuesday

Thursday and Friday-
Same things as Tuesday and Wednesday just without the movers bringing over stuff, it's me bringing over stuff from the temp house and unpacking stuff from this house.

To be honest, I'm exhausted looking at all of the work I have to get done this week. There's more good news though...friends of ours has had their move in date moved up as well and they are moving into their house next week! I'm thrilled for them!

At last, we can all get settled into our houses and before the holidays!!!

Quote of the Day

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can!"
-John Wesley

Saturday, November 14, 2009

30,000 blog views!

I had told myself that once I hit the 30,000 mark in views to my blog I was going to offer some blog candy. So stay tuned! I've got some goodies to give away it's just that it's going to have to wait a little now that it's happened and I'm preparing to move on Monday, LOL!

another day...

In the soap opera that's become my life.

Friday was just one theatrical event after another.

* I make that back to back dental appointment for my daughter- well she freaks out on me, she lets me know that she's got some big exam in Science and that she can't possibly make it. So I have to call the dental office cancel and reschedule the appointment.

*It was raining cats and dogs where I live, not to mention that it's pitch black outside and windy. The kids weren't dragging their butts, but with all of the bags they have to carry, and use an umbrella well... I knew there's no way that they will make it to the bus stop on time so I jumped in the minivan and drove them to the bus stop (in my pj's no less). Good thing I did that because they really would not have made it! The bus took off early! It's supposed to wait until 7 am to leave. Five or so minutes may not seem that big of a time difference, but to us parents who would have to drive their children to a school that's 1 hour away- we need all the extra minutes we can get!

* I spent the majority of my day in the kitchen baking. Okay so I'd pop on and off on facebook (I am several hours ahead of my girlfriends back in the states), LOL! But seriously between the 6 loads of laundry, the hand washing of fine washables and making my plans for moving things from this house over to the new house next week, well it was a full day!

*Our base is hosting a multi base Deployed Spouses Event tonight. The drama that goes on behind the scenes sometimes is rather comical. One person gets stressed out because of the amount of dignitaries that will be attending and she sends that stress right on down the line. And alas, it stops here with me. I let all parties know that they're going to do fine! It's not that any of them have not done this before and it's going to go off without a hitch! I think that the stress is coming from all of the hype about the event. What it comes down to is the fear that the event will be a flop and everyone wants to make sure the event lives up to the hype. I say- relax and everything will fall into place.

*I'm baking treats for the Deployed Spouses event that's happening this afternoon and also for church tomorrow. I'm enlisting the help of my daughter to get the blueberry muffin, and the zucchini bread made (Zucchini are Courgettes for those British ladies reading my blog). I just adore zucchini, m'm!

*And the move...it's got me going in 20 different directions. How do you get ready to move out of one house and directly into another without help? It's a challenge to say the least! My husband has already informed me that he will be in meetings and is unable to help me. I kind of figured that something like that would happen since the move in date was moved up a week. So here I am, getting all of this done on my own...again. Kids will be i school, the cat will be in the cottage and I'll be at the manor house with the moving people. First things first, I'm bringing over my electric tea kettle and my coffee pot! I'm not about to be w/o caffeine!

The house walk through is on Monday, I'm bringing my camera (actually I'll bring 2 cameras). I will be tasking more in depth pictures this time around. I want to bring over my kitchen and pantry items plus the bathroom items and get that stuff squared away before the movers arrive. Hand towels, soap and toilet tissue are some of the first things I plan on getting into place. My mind is reeling with all of the stuff I have going on over the next few days but if I remain calm and focused on what I need to get done, it will all fall into place.

Quote of the Day

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily.
--Zig Ziglar

Thursday, November 12, 2009

side note

Just when I thought that I "did good" by scheduling the dental appointments for tomorrow - I tell daughter about what happened and she let me know that she can't miss tomorrow because she has a big science exam tomorrow at 8:30 am. Yup, my life is nonstop succession of little emergencies. So tomorrow at 7:30 am I have to call the dental clinic and cancel the double appointment. There are days when I shouldn't even try to get out of bed...this is one of them!

At least the move is still on and we are still scheduled to get the keys on Monday and the movers show up on Tuesday and Wednesday!

you know that you have too much going on when?

When you forget your daughter has a dental appointment...TODAY! Good thing I was able to reschedule it for tomorrow. If I couldn't then it would have had to wait 3 more weeks because of MY schedule-ugh!!!

What can I say about...

how insane the next couple of weeks will be for me.

Take yesterday for instance- child #1 misses the bus, spouse and I are scheduled to be in attendance at another military installation for a Remembrance Day event (husband is part of the event). Our time line changed because our of son and we had to step everything up. I hate getting ready in a rush, something is always forgotten or skipped- this time is was us getting something to eat or drink-ugh! After getting Andrew to school late, we ended up spending 2½ hours on the road yesterday before getting to where "we" needed to be. After all that, we were back home by 1pm and we were both exhausted! I had to take a nap, I could hardly keep my eyes open after all of our running around.

Tuesday's Spouses club meeting went well, we had 5 more ladies in attendance. The club is getting off to a good start (at least I think so). Now for the word to get out and to gain more members. There are things that I would love to do with our group, but alas we need more members if we are to be able to have the social groups such as book club, lunch bunch, scrapbooking, bunco and especially when it comes to volunteering as a group at RAF Croughton.

Today- I'll be spending today making desserts for the Saturday and Sunday events I'm attending. A couple of cheesecakes, some carrot cake, gingerbread cookies and a pound cake. Just call me the baking queen!

Now for my "other news", we got the word and now we're moving in EARLIER into our house!!! Am I excited? You bet I am! But that in its self also causes some other issues to arise, like getting the cable and phone line switched over to the new house which is only up the street and around the corner. BT internet wants 14 businesses days- get real! Sometimes these moves take place in a blink of an eye for military families, we shouldn't be punished because we've waited 7½ months to get our permanent house. Hopefully my husband will have time to work on all of this today. I've got TMO bringing over the furniture on Wednesday/Thursday- was supposed to be Tuesday/Wednesday with the keys in our hands on Monday but that changed because of the AFN being installed on Tuesday (whatever!). Just don't make me move in the week of Thanksgiving is all I ask! As it is, my husband won't be able to be there or to help me with the move - so what's new? LOL! I've got a couple of terrific girlfriends that I can call on to help me out there if I need it :-)

Now for me to start getting things ready for transport over to the new house. My mind is going off in 20 different directions.

I just realized that I need about 2 dozen eggs for my mondo baking session today, and wouldn't you know it- not a single egg to be had in the house! Now to get dressed and buy some eggs!

Quote of the Day

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

-Elmer Davis

Monday, November 09, 2009

Venice






















What can I say about my weekend trip to venice...PLENTY! It was just as beautiful as I had always imagined it would be. Pictuesque beauty abounds in Venice.

Quote of the Day

"I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see."
- Duane Michals

Friday, November 06, 2009

Venice Bound!

I'm leaving in an hour for Venice! When I get back I'll tell you all about it! I'm also bringing alone a little companion who frequently goes on trips with me, it's Wilson the Travel Pig. He's been to many an exotic place, places where no other travel pigs have been (none that we know of anyway).

Once in the new house I can get to work on making Wilson's travel album with pictures of him on various vacations with us. I'll call it...The adventures of Wilson or something along that line :-)

Quote of the Day

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life."

- Henry L. Doherty

Thursday, November 05, 2009

one more day!

I'm now down to counting down the hours until I leave tomorrow. I'm sooo ready for a mini-vacation, heck I'm ready for a long vacation but that will have to wait.

The new commander and his wife moved into their new to them home which means it's only a short wait until we're in ours! I saw the new appliances...oooh I hope that we get some like theirs! I'm worthy, I'm worthy!!!!

Did the pre-inspection of our house today, everything went swimmingly! So we'll be completely out of here in 18 days!

Now for me to get some things done around here before I leave tomorrow!

Quote of the day

False history gets made all day, any day, the truth of the new is never on the news.
--Adrienne Rich

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Anticipation...

November is a month where I wait...
* for the days to pass until I leave on my trip to Venice (only 2 more)
*for the keys to our newly renovated house (16 more days)
*to get all of our household goods (18 and 19 more days)

I seem to spend a lot of time "waiting". I only hope that what I'm waiting for is worth the wait.

Quote of the Day

Today you are You, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
-Dr Seuss

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Quote of the Day

Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of - for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.
Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC)

Monday, November 02, 2009

Quote of the Day

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616),
"The Merchant of Venice", Act 1 scene 3