Guns in the House?

A conversation the hub and I have every once in a blue moon is about whether or not to have a gun in our home. Although I'm not quite sure it actually is a conversation....usually it's more me finding him in the gun section in the store and then ranting and raving about how I don't really want a gun in our house once we're out of earshot of the general public.....However, I do try to be reasonable and listen to compromise and I'm just not sure how to feel about this topic.

I grew up in a household that was primarily opposed to guns. My mom's father was a hunter and had shotguns etc, but we never had a gun in our house growing up and my very quiet father will not hesitate to tell you that he wishes all weapons could be removed from the world. Coming from a rural community, I'm used to my friends having guns to hunt and on a few occasions have fired weapons out in the woods on shooting outings. However, I also feel that handguns, while useful in occupations such as law enforcement etc, tend to be more of a problem in our society than anything. I'm definitely in favor of gun regulations and (I'm just waiting for the barrage of comments from random searchers/strangers about this....) I'm not a huge proponent of gun ownership truly being a human right/necessity.

In my health education, I saw way too many pictures and read way too many studies about kids blowing each other away with handguns in homes. Nothing shocks your senses like seeing a 10 year old brain oozing out of their skull via forensic photos....and that primarily has always been my argument for having a lock box/safe in the home for guns. And my husband's argument of why safety instruction is necessary for kids if you are going to have weapons in your home. Although....since some of those kids and guns incidents are due to guns acquired on the street that doesn't necessarily solve the bigger picture.....but that's another discussion...

Now I totally understand the argument that if you needed a gun for protection in your home (not likely but feasible....) it isn't going to do you much good to have it hidden somewhere in a lock box in the garage, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to sleep having an unlocked handgun in my bedroom. My plan for a break-in includes jumping out the window and running, even if my husband is home to "protect" me. Ironically this has come up in conversation quite a bit lately.....I live on a military installation where most soldiers have to be qualified on weapons, there have been several reported break-ins/random security issues across the installation and local community in the last months, and most the wives I know around here actually want/have a hand gun in their home/bedroom for when their husbands are gone.

Before the hub and I got married we had the gun conversation, and I was pretty sure the agreement was that shotguns/rifles for hunting were okay, lock boxes were a must, and any kids we might have would have lots of gun safety instruction/introduction/comfort to decrease the likelihood of misfires/accidents/etc. The other gun rule is supposed to be that any potential kids wouldn't be allowed to play with fake guns or point imaginary weapons at people and play shoot them. However, it appears maybe these weren't the initial compromises. ;) And now I'm trying to sort out whether or not my uncomfortableness with handguns is unreasonable or rather if its extremely intelligent. Regardless, I really don't want any type of gun in our house for several years to come still, especially since those things aren't cheap! But I guess I'm also wondering if the hub had to have a gun for future employment purposes if my feelings toward guns would change.....hmmm food for thought.

Thoughts? Primarily I'm interested in what regular readers might have to thoughtfully say, not necessarily those who want to rant against any small percentage of what I've written. ;)

National Prescription Med Take-Back on Saturday

Have a bunch of left over prescription medication in your cupboards? Well this Saturday, September 25th the Drug Enforcement Agency is coordinating a National Take-Back Initiative. Between 10am and 2pm sites across the nation will be collecting old prescription medication for incineration. To find the collection site nearest you, please visit this site with the DEA.

While incineration might not be the best disposal option (????), it will decrease the likelihood of used medications from being flushed, which recent research has found chemicals and hormones from prescription medications measurable in tap water in many municipalities across the nation. Additionally, research demonstrates that prescription medication abuse is one of the highest rates of teenage drug ab/use. When our nation is over prescribed and left over medications are prevalent in family homes, prescription drug access is highly accessible for teenagers (and many others) looking for an easy escape.

Why leave those medications laying around if you do have them in your home? Dispose of them at the site nearest you! ;)

Please help get the word out about this resource---it doesn't seem like its been heavily marketed nor advertised and it'd be great to see more individuals participating to clear out their homes of access, prevent misuse, and allow for a more proper disposal than many across the nation are used to putting into practice.

It's Not About Me

So today for the second time in the last few weeks, I found myself annoyed with.....me. Because you see, lately (ahem maybe the last year...two years.....) it feels like this life is all about....me. So many sentences start with I, so many sentences focus on I, so many thoughts start and focus on I.....and really it's pretty tiring all this I, I, I all the time. Because truthfully, this life, well it's not about me. In the big scheme of things, my life is one little dot on the map and really there's not much missing from this life. Some of those big thoughts I mentioned in a previous post pertained to the disconnect that exists at times between our expectations of life and what the reality of our moments really can be at times. Its so easy to become upset with everything we DO have because it doesn't always compare to what we thought we might be getting.  Well, I hate to break it to myself, but there's not much for this gal to be complaining about.....

SO much gets taken for granted or still desired, when there are many others who could benefit from simple generosity. Part of the reason for my initial attraction to a life of simplicity was due to the lack of acquisition and due to the old standby statement of "living simply so that others may simply live." Rather than wasting money and resources, life took on a new meaning of being purposeful and mindful about purchases and how to greater bless the lives of others. While part of that mentality still exists, much has been lost in the last several months/couple years. While personal life has headed in lots of new directions, there still is ample room for generosity and mindfulness to prevail and for less of a focus on myself.

In thinking about how my selfish nature has evolved, somehow this song continues to enter my mind. The reality is the most settled life has ever been is when I felt most aligned with walking in the faith of Christian values which are pretty similar to those of living a life of simplicity. When my thoughts and focus goes back to the "heart of the matter" then its truly not about me anymore, but rather how I can be a vessel to demonstrate love, generosity, and companionship to others. When the "heart of the matter" is ever present, a life of stewardship and mindfulness come much more easily. So while it probably won't be easy, I'm working toward reconnection with that old matter of the heart and with being a better global citizen, giver, and protector.

My heart and soul breaks for the suffering the world over and while it might be overwhelming at times, the best way to make an impact on that suffering is to do something, anything....rather than to hide in the shadows pretending that the world is peachy keen. To help out where one can and in whatever way one can.....this is something I need to get back to....giving my money, giving my time, giving my prayers, and giving my heart.

This blog wasn't necessarily supposed to be a diary of me either.....that doesn't mean that you aren't going to continue to learn way too much personal info than I ever intended to broadcast across the web, but it does mean that maybe, just maybe there will finally be some educational posts---sharing that wealth of education and knowledge gleaned throughout my public health, social work, and education programs. Wouldn't that be food for thought?!

So on that note, I'm going to redirect you to an old post I wrote about a wonderful charitable organization back home. This organization continues to touch my heart and soul as they provide such a worthy service to many individuals that are frequently bypassed and overlooked on the streets. They haven't given up hope on the fabulous individuals they are serving although their funding is seriously touch and go almost every month, and they haven't given up on me for being a touch and go donor either (nor do they harass the mailbox either). Adding to the goals on the sidebar will be one pertaining to donating in some form each and every month to a charitable organization.

Please bear with me and show patience as I continue to learn that it's NOT all about me......and please feel free to remind me when I get too far out of alignment. Here's to getting back to the heart of the matter......

There have been some incredible moments this weekend which I'm thankful for:

--The hub had Friday off so he secured the dogs in the back of the truck and took them for a drive to Petsmart an hour away to have their nails clipped. We have the clipping tool here but he made Roxi bleed once and has been quite apprehensive to clip them since then. This was the first time both gals have been in Petsmart and I can just imagine their excitement at all the goodies and at the long ride looking at all the scenery! Needless to say they came back with a few bones, a couple new toys, beautifully clipped toenails, and that satisfied calm that only an outing can give them!

--Friday evening, the hub and I with the couple down the street went to the local high school football game. We ended up sitting on the visitors side, but the game was neck and neck down til the last 2 minutes. It was great to support the local community and it was an absolutely beautiful evening. Not too hot, but it still felt weird to be watching fall football in shorts, old flip flops, and a shirt. Back home, it's sweatshirt and jean weather by now! After the game we picked up rootbeer floats and called it an early night since hub worked yesterday and today......but most definitely probably the most enjoyable double date we've been on in a while!

--Yesterday I had a few blissful moments of enjoyment of nature:
       --The first fall leaf fell from the sky into our backyard and I caught the moment of Anna watching it fall with utter wonder at what in the world it was doing.....you know those moments when time slows down and you see the leaf just gently floating beautifully through the air? It was one of those.....and it was a pleasure to watch Anna noticing it too.
       --Since I've got more jalapenos and bell peppers growing, I'm continuing to water them on a regular basis. Well yesterday when I started my watering, a lil' toad hopped out of the bell pepper pot!
    
--Yesterday I also took the dogs into my office with me as I had to finish making copies for the seminar I'm giving on Monday. It just so happened that the hub could take a lunch break from his work day, so we picked up some food and ate at a tiled cement table under some trees out back of my work. There was an incredible breeze blowing through which was unusual, but it was just so enjoyable to eat under the trees with the dogs relaxing on the sandy ground in the presence of my husband....stealing an extra moment or two of his time.

The rest of the weekend and last week has pretty much been focused on trying to cram many extra veggies and fruits, herbal tea and honey, and packets of Emergenc-E into my body as possible. I came down with a cold on Tuesday, felt the worst on Thursday, and thought I was onto recovery on Friday....but every day the cold keeps changing and keeps hanging on. I usually hate taking over-the-counter meds must have been taking some Nyquil at night, so at least I'm getting decent sleep.....and to be honest I might be buying some cough syrup to get me through this next week. One downfall to working in a small office is that every person needs to be present during a busier week.....so as much as I'm opposed to working when sick....sometimes you just have to buck up.

Unfortunately the extra family commitments, travels, and sickness have pretty much meant that instead of running 7-10 miles a week.....this last month or two I think I've been lucky to run 15 miles total. ;) Which I don't feel too bad about....but isn't always the best for my mental and physical health in its own right. Basically no running equates to tighter jeans (cause extra belly fat is always the first thing to be added to on this body!) and my poor hub not only having to deal with my sickiness but also with extra moodiness cause I don't have an outlet to process many of those big questions that come to my mind....but maybe some of those will be food for thought for later posts this week...

Now, with Roxi trying to break the rules and wiggle her way up onto the bed with me (the dogs think they are the best nurse maids after all....), I'm off to flop on the couch and maybe watch a movie.....or finish reading my Oregon Coast magazine and daydream about all the loveliness of home!

The Ol' San Antone

A Lil' Weekend Trip to Ol' San Antone...

I haven't done much traveling in Texas, but have an old childhood friend who's lived in San Antonio for years. When I discovered that my good buddy from high school would be in the city for a conference this week, I decided to head over to see both her and him over the weekend. What an amazing time and I actually was impressed by how beautiful the countryside was on the drive!

She and I enjoyed dinner on the Riverwalk, checked out two of the old missions on the Mission Walk, ate brunch at the old Guenther Mill House, and ended the day in the Mexican Market area where I finally got to utilize my Spanish for the first time in about three years!  After 19 years, it was an incredibly wonderful time catching up together! The city impressed me beyond belief as well--it has so much history, so much culture, and so much incredible food! I spent early Saturday morning walking around the city checking out many of the old historic buildings: city hall, Spanish Governor's Palace, The Alamo, etc. Beyond the site seeing, amazing food, and good Texas brew, it was also great just to interact and spend time with people more on my own page....overall a wonderful get away! Plus my buddy, his friend, and I hit up my first ever flea market, when we got distracted by it on our way to a historic town outside the city. 

I scored a great deal on a nice hotel via Hotwire--saving over 44% and staying in a place with some great ammenities. Always nice to discover a new budget option--definitely will be hitting up Hotwire next time I'm traveling and can book in advance. No traffic jams the entire way even though I had to travel through Houston---definitely felt blessed. And although our new GPS messed up on the way there and died on my way back, the old school paper map saved the day! Two and a half tanks of gas, two nights at a great price in a lovely hotel, two new indigenous masks purchased from the Mexican Market, a new hand-carved necklace from the flea market, and a handful of meals and beers.....and it was a great time at a pretty decent price overall! Moments spent with friends and exploring new territory are often worth every penny....

While the Husbands are Away, The Wives Will Play

I think I've mentioned before that the hub spends a good amount of time out in the field. I'm not divulging any additional details about his job schedule nor exactly what he does, but what I will tell you is that it makes us treasure the moments we do get together and the weekends that he does get free.

A lot of the wives married to soldiers in his unit struggle with having their husbands unavailable so much, and while I definitely miss him in the moments when he isn't around I also think that living primarily alone and/or independently for so many years left me better equipped for functioning in the moments when I'm on my own now. It might also have something to do with the fact that both my parents have been dedicated employees throughout their lives (plus my dad is retired military) and our family schedules have altered accordingly.  I try not to complain about the hub's inconsistent schedule or long hours on some days, as everything tends to balance out in its own right and its all just a part of his job. Plus the last thing he needs is to come home to my complaining....

Some moments do get overwhelming when he's gone (mainly because I'm a total verbal processor, bet you never would have guessed that) and other moments I realize how much joy I get out of life when he's experiencing it beside me. (Definitely has made me start to plan how to support coworkers and friends going through deployments....) I have to say that my own independence and the joys of life  (job, dogs, and routines) are all components of having a positive overall outlook.

In the year plus that I've been here it's been hard to find other wives that I've really enjoyed spending much time with. The gal down the street and her husband have been constants in the lives of my husband and myself as we both started our journeys here about the same time. The hub and I have definitely spent time socializing with many different individuals, but this weekend was really the first time that any group of enjoyable women got together without the presence of their husbands. While the husbands were away, the wives finally got out to play.....

Louisiana is known for having good food and fabulous local festivals. Unfortunately without a great social circle and with the hub's schedule it's been difficult to get out to enjoy many of the festivals....until this weekend! The gals (3 other wives) and myself went up to my favorite little town of Natchitoches for the Zydeco Festival. If you've never heard zydeco...it's a great Cajun sound that just makes you want to shake it! (You can find an example of zydeco on youtube here.) While the festival had a smaller turn out, we also indulged in my favorite restaurant up there that has sort of an Italian/seafood/Cajun flair. The hub and I head up to Natchitoches at least once every other month and always take any visitors there for the history and culture, but it was great to introduce other wives to the town as well. We sat on the patio of the restaurant enjoying great food and chatting for quite a few hours. It was nice to finally have the opportunity to sit down with very different women but some that I could relate to and respect all the same. One of the most enjoyable evenings I've had of female company in a long time and hopefully we'll be able to make it a regular routine during these times when the guys are away.

Then on Sunday morning I woke up and decided upon a spontaneous trip to the nearby small lake, which is the type of thing I used to do all the time back home. I knew that it'd be hit or miss as to whether or not it'd a) be free of other people and dogs and b) if any of the other gals and their dogs would want to join Anna, Roxi, and I on such short notice. But within 15 minutes, we were joined by the gal down the street and her two dogs. We lucked out with the open beach and only two other friendly dogs about 200 yards down the way. We didn't spend any long period of time at the water, but it was so nice to get an hour or so of sun, float in water where we could actually see our toes, and watch the dogs enjoy fun in sand and water! A nice change of pace and a great way to start off a productive Sunday!

The rest of the weekend has focused on applying for a job back home, getting back up to my regular weekly running mileage, watching an interesting movie (Smile) about a priveleged US teen who goes to China to help provide medical intervention for children with facial deformities, working from home on altering one of our job application seminars, and researching hotel options and planning my trip to San Antonio this next weekend (I'm heading to see a childhood friend for the first time in 19 years and to see my high school buddy who will be there presenting at an environmental conference----has anyone used hotwire before?!).

A major highlight was spending the great quality time with other interesting and knowledgeable women however. Here's hoping more opportunities will arise for us wives to play when the husbands are away/unavailable...... hope you had a great weekend too. :)

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

This morning as I was putting together a delicious breakfast (speaking of, if you've never tried organic vanilla yogurt with applesauce and a slight drizzling of pure maple syrup....you might want to give it a whirl), I was thinking....about.....babies. Now if you know my husband and I then you're already aware that we're the couple who double up on contraception when we hear of other people discovering they're pregnant, just to help encourage the stork to keep on flying past our house. Not that we don't want to maybe one day have a bio kid (although I'd rather adopt if we do have kids....), but we definitely aren't ready to have kids now.

Somehow my social circles have always balanced out their weddings. I've heard of people who get the pleasure of attending 6-10 weddings a summer at times, but luckily my friends have been getting married since we all were 19 (I do come from a small town) so somehow they all tied the knot in more than just one or two summers. I also have friends that are staunchly opposed to the notion of marriage so more than likely will never get hitched, and the hub and I both have friends that will hold out as long as possible.

But amazingly, a majority of the babies seem to be arriving about the same time, although I'm sure there are many more to come still. This is even more amazing when I recognize that the ages of my friends vary from around 40 down to 20. Being on a military installation I've gotten used to babies being the norm and at young ages of the mothers. The hub and I are quite the outsiders and at times I dread chatting with my health care providers here who can't believe I have yet to reproduce at my age. ;) Luckily, there are a few friends from back home who really intend, like us, to wait until somewhere in our 30s and who are really interested in adoption rather than biological children.

In the last six months, my nephew, my host sister, an old high school friend, a friend of the hub's, and two former colleagues had babies. Two other former colleagues and a current military spouse friend are all due in the next month. A current coworker and a good high school buddy are due in the spring. Three current and former coworkers will all be pregnant soon, and 2 more of the wives that I spend time with aren't preventing any pregnancy. Add onto that the 6-10 other individuals from high school and college that I know are currently pregnant or recently had kids, and that's a lot of babies!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not a baby hater. I love seeing little chunky rolls and watching lil ones grow, but I also have never understood that innate desire to reproduce and why society likes to pressure others to recreate their genes. We've already discussed before my aversion to baby showers, as I feel forced to keep my mouth shut on the toxic exposures being gifted to unaware mothers in the form of shower presents, although I'm all for celebrating the joy of an infant's healthy arrival! 

The most joy I've ever had selecting a baby gift happened recently when the hub's friend from high school had registered for cloth diaper items. She later reported that everyone else had ignored that gift, but nothing made me as excited as seeing those items on her registry. I also really enjoyed making a baby quilt for my high school buddy's first child. And now recently I'm tapping into the creative skills of the sister of a friend from home. Her designs can be found at MeFein Designs on Etsy (although she just set it up so I'm not so sure how active it is) and she's incredibly gifted with all things baby: shoes, blankets, bibs, hats. She's a great eco mama herself--cloth diapering, breast feeding, home cooking, and getting her lil ones outside. And she creates the perfect gifts for me to send on to those I do intend to pass baby gifts to--nothing like a lil something special made by hand to let a mama know her child is an adorable and naturally made blessing. (Pictures with this posting are some of her items.)

So how do you help celebrate baby joy and what are your baby "plans"?

Cleaning the Way to Free and Easy

Last night was a fabulous evening....and it all was because of cleaning. I know, what a way for a 28 year old to want to spend an evening, but I have to say the only way I don't clean the house on Friday evening and/or Saturday morning is if the hub begs me otherwise or we already have other scheduled plans. To me a clean house just sets the relaxing tone for the rest of the weekend and the ready status for the coming week. When I come home on a Friday and whip through the house organizing, dusting, clearing the junk away from the week before, and spic spanning most everything in sight then the rest of the weekend just feels free and easy. When there's no more cleaning to do, then I'm free to enjoy the restful nature and spontaneity of moments of two days ahead....and I'm still prepared for the work week to come.

Now if you're a germ-a-phob then you probably wouldn't be super thrilled at my approach to cleaning. I'm much more into the appearance of my home and leaving the house looking spic and span. I've learned how to easily get it done in about two hours but I don't focus on killing every bacteria and germ. I believe in the ol' adage that God made dirt so dirt can't hurt--I just don't want to see it!. So we spray the counters and wipe them down, I dust the shelves and chairs, we vacuum up canister after canister of dog hair, we scrub the toilet and the bathtub surfaces, and we throw the clothes and towels through the wash. If hub's work clothes are particularly grungy from the field then we'll use a bit hotter water, if we've had guests I always change the sheets, and every other week we use a bit harsher of chemicals to scrub mineral build up off the tub.....but for the most part we try to use "green" and easy cleaning methods. We don't stress out about 100% germ free nor about deep cleaning most anything.

Nightly I wipe down kitchen counters, pick up around the house, water outdoor plants, and we wash larger dishes by hand. Twice a week we pick up the yard from the animals and clean out the litter box (they use it about once a week right now since they're outside 50%). About once a week we dust, launder clothes and kitchen/bath towels, vacuum, organize, take inventory of the fridge, clean the bathroom, run the dishwasher, and take out the recycling and trash. Every other week I wash our sheets and sweep the patios. About once a month I wash the rest of the blankets on our bed and used as throws, vacuum out the car, wash the dogs (if we haven't taken them somewhere to swim). Once a season the hub mops the kitchen floor (a job I loathe, it gets vacuumed weekly), we clean up the garage, I wipe down the baseboards, and we vacuum the corners and under things.

So while I'm sure we wouldn't win any "most clean" prize, it never fails to look and be comfortable and presentable regardless of unannounced visitors. I quite enjoy the mad dash of the Friday evening cleaning spree as it makes great closure for the last week and leaves us prepared for the week to come. Free and easy for two days of enjoyment just focusing on each other, the dogs, and fun.

What I'm For SA---Part 2

Sometimes there is a thin line between being authentic, being empathetic, and being PC.

So just what am I for, all things considered, I thought to myself as I drove home from work yesterday with a lil Pat Green blaring from the CD the hub made for us.

I, Simply Authentic, take great heart and mean no offense to the emotions and life situations of others when I say that I am for the following:

I'm for dancing barefoot in the kitchen with the dogs up on their feet,
Environmental regulation and global outlooks,
I'm for smart population growth and increased adoption up front,
For committed marriages and rights of domestic partnerships.

I'm for turning out the lights when you're no longer in the room,
Tailored educational programs and renewed job training focus,
I'm for strong family values and increased parental involvement,
Organic, home cooked meals on a shared table each night.

I'm for equal access to basic life needs,
Health care as a human right,
I'm for increased physical activity,
Pets as an extension of your heart.

I'm for decreasing toxic exposures and increasing public knowledge,
For getting kids outside and technological reduction,
I'm for respecting our soldiers even if we don't agree with the fight,
Empathy for the little man on the wrong end of the corporate "right."

I'm for multilingual abilities,
Acceptance of cultural differences and global travel,
I'm for appreciation of Mother Nature,
The unconditional love message of Jesus Christ.

I'm for respecting elders and active family participation,
Fine arts appreciation and human evolution,
I'm for taking time to smell the roses,
Reintegration of gardening and preservation traditions.

I'm for paying off my debts both emotional and financially,
For free higher education and increased professional maturity,
I'm for reduced work week hours,
For increased financial giving and volunteer productivity.

I'm for reduced overall consumption and for increased mpg,
For needed alternative fuel and energy sources,
I'm for natural personal care products and integrative health care options,
For leave for adoption, maternity, and paternity cases.

I'm for natural child care choices and for free contraception,
For hunting, fishing, and vegetarianism,
I'm for family farms and CSAs,
For lifetime friends and smiling at strangers.

I'm for secured privacy rights and confidentiality,
For storing up treasures in Heaven rather than on Earth,
I'm for supporting small town football,
Enjoyment of bonfires and beer on the beach at night.

I'm for total recycling and cradle-to-cradle production,
For GMO regulation and local economic development,
I'm for art and personal creativity,
For furry friends and bird songs in the morning.

I'm for exercise causing sweat to pour from pores,
Delicious organic, free trade coffee brewing into my cup,
I'm for reducing plastic usage,
Design and construction sustainability.

I'm for giving the homeless scarves and apples,
Care for veterans and non-mandated drug treatment programs,
I'm for people first, government second, corporation last,
And for changing my mind based on the circumstances....