November Summary

Sometimes blogging is far from my mind....leading to a month's absence with hardly a second thought. Then I set aside a Sunday midday to check in on some of my most favorite bloggers and am mesmerized by their words and constantly shouting at the hub "look at this picture!" and "listen to this funny bit...".

Sometimes I don't see the point anymore to putting my thoughts down in blog formation when I'm not really sure that I'm living my best authentic life in this very moment, in this very location. (And I'm not really sure that most people care to entertain themselves with my random thoughts....) But I'm living one day at a time, enjoying what I can and I guess that's as good as it can get at times.

The last month has been full and yet mainly lovely in its own right. So in all my randomness, here are my lengthy highlights.....

1) I Took a Vacation

My trip to Atlanta to visit my gal Christina was amazing and well needed. Interestingly my poor Honda had an issue the day before I left but thankfully hasn't had any other issues since then and didn't act up on the 10 hour drive there or back. I'd contemplated taking the truck for mental security but after calculating out the extra city parking hassle and gas mileage....it was worth a potential issue to still take the car. Gas mileage wasn't as good in my car as usual but after realizing my tires needed more air in them, it didn't surprise me....check your tire pressure, folks! ;)

I wasn't as impressed with much uniqueness about Atlanta, but spent some time exploring the great history of the city via MLK's roots and the Oakland Cemetary (on the plus side: both are FREE venues...always hitting up those frugal must-sees!). I had the unique experience of using the MARTA (public metro system) and realizing some of the continued segregation that still exists in the South. (I've recognized the remains of discrimination and racism in my own rural area in Louisiana and on my visits to friends in North Carolina, but Atlanta was the first time in the South that I seriously noticed how divided aspects of the city truly remain. It also was an interesting experience to be the minority individual on public transport, but an experience worth having all the same.)

The highlights of my visit to Atlanta were: real coffeeshops, local breweries and sustainable food systems, real shopping (Target, West Elm, H&M, and DSW all in one location!) were I could finally find flannel sheets and a pair of $30 dress shoes for the upcoming ball, and loads of catch-up and conversation with one of my lovely friends and all her CDC public health fellows! I love me some nerdy conversation at times. For the first time in over a year, I was the weird non-single one. In explaining how I ended up in Louisiana as a career counselor after finishing the MPH (master of public health) program back in Oregon, I got really good at stating "uh, I married a soldier?!" ;) And the reality is....I also had to realize how much this military spouse life has changed me...

2) I Thought a Lot About Family

Granny broke her other leg exactly three months after the break of her right leg. She'd made it thru all her rehab and was back to the point of living independently, mainly using a cane, in her own home again, when she got dizzy (from blood pressure meds) and fell. Same surgery as before, metal rod inserted the lenght of the bone, and she's taking it all in stride....which is really quite amazing. She spent Thanksgiving at my aunt's and she's the most positive individual about this that you can imagine. She's been working hard in rehab and will be moving back into the home of another aunt's for continued recooping on Weds! Being back in Oregon, my family has consistently been visiting her and she's had numerous visits from her social circles too. With this determination, she should be back on two feet in time for her 100th birthday next summer. Such a motivation to all of us!

3) I Officially Was Approved for the Part-Time Job

I think I may have mentioned that I Skype interviewed for a part-time college instructor position back in Oregon. Last week I got the email that I was officially approved by the dean and will be teaching two courses during spring term. Definitely excited and hopeful this will lead to even more teaching opportunities for coming terms. Still thinking and saving for the overall financial picture, but hopeful it will all come together.

4) There was a Wive's Social Event

With the upcoming military ball, there was an event hosted for a dress-take, free dresses used by other military spouses in past balls that are passed on to the next group. While I already had a dress, I went to socialize and it turned out to be a good outing. I ended up finding a free dress that I probably will use instead or for another event in the next year, but what I got out of it was that the wives from the department are in the need of social outings....so I've been tasked out to arrange an event for January.

5) The Hub and I Had Our First Official Thanksgiving at Home AKA The Hub Rocked My World This Week/end

Last year we were on the road, using his 4 day to visit my hometown-friend-transplanted-to-Canada-grad-student who was in New Orleans and then we continued on to Georgia for the wedding of our local friends here. This year was our first real Thanksgiving here and it was great to be home together! We had our first meal last Sunday with our neighbors down the way, I had a small meal over at the house of my coworker/friend whose husband is currently deployed, and then I came home to a meal 100% prepared by the hub. We put together three plates which we transported to his guys on duty for the day and then we came back to settle into our own meal. My coworker and her teenage daughter came over in the evening for board games and pumpkin cheesecake, and the whole day just left my heart swelling and my pride growing in this husband of mine. Now he did drag me out of bed at 2:30am the next day to try to score a doorprize of a new washer/dryer (beyond the banshee shriek, our dryer is also now latched via duct tape since the actual closure went out, we're still line drying about 80% of our laundry but recognize a new dryer is something we probably could benefit from....), but he left me in the truck while he waited in the cold in his place in line (and ended up being 1 person too late in line....). No doorprize in sight, we headed back home for me to catch another hour of zzzs before heading off to the office for Friday. My week/end of spoiling not only included a fabulous homecooked holiday meal, but a from-scratch cinnamon roll was just deposited on my lap an hour ago, a small container of peppermint ice cream showed up last night, and last week my dream camera that I'd expressed a desire for months ago arrived on our doorstep. When I went to Atlanta, our projector was set up for movies-in-bed viewing moments. These moments when his real heart glows and shows makes the pessimist in me question what happened?! ;) but make the optimist in me glad for the breaks he gets from work and hopeful for what the next few years of our future might bring. Yesterday marked his official 4 month until he's out of the Army date.... A great weekend indeed....

Hope the month has been full of beautiful moments and silver lined clouds for all of you.....Can hardly believe December is right around the corner!

Fall Has Arrived!

Bit of an absence.....I was momentarily trying to transfer my blog to Wordpress since Google had made blogspot difficult for me to access using my registered yahoo account....but I'm hopeful the kink got worked out because for some reason trying to learn how to use wordpress was a bit too confusing for this month of my life!!

But anyway.....FALL IS HERE!

I love the months of October and November. Summer hung on through the end of October however, and we're just now having chilly nights and red leaves on the trees. Soon the dogs should have their winter coats, but as of right now they're all chilly noses and cold kisses.

The last few weeks have been busier but full of some fun moments too. We're down to FOUR months before we'll transition home. In my mind I'm aware of the date of my last day of work I'll have here and the hub should be able to use his paid leave time to allow us to transition back to Oregon by or within mid-March rather than the end of that month.  ....Now it's just trying to get all our ducks in a row as the next four months will fly by quickly. Trying not to stress thinking about moving all our goods and animals home, covering the first six months of expenses, and finding pet friendly housing options.....

The good news is: I had a skype interview last week for a part-time position and it looks like I will be joining the team! The pay per class won't cover all our expenses and it might be very minimal to start, but it's heading in the right direction and hopefully will lead into something more too! Definitely is part of the career plan I'd hoped to have before relocating in this direction.

Now some of the wonderful moments of the last few weeks:
--Carving pumpkins on the kitchen floor
--Local roller derby outing
--Reserving hotels for our final New Orleans trip for New Years
--Homemade veggie chilli in the crock pot and fresh loaves of bread from the maker
--Breakfasts of french toast from stale bread & homemade mochas
--Over a week of Molly the English lab sitting; haven't had to worry a bit about exercising our own dogs!
--Huddled down in layers and under blankets, avoiding turning on the heat
--Flicker of candle light
--Roasted pumpkins seeds with rosemary and garlic salt
--Loads upon loads of laundry hanging on lines in the garage

This week promises to hold three days of work: briefing soldiers on services and resume assistance. A doctor's appointment to check out my arm which has been having some pain for the last week. And an extended weekend to Atlanta to reconnect with one of my favorite gals from my public health program--promises to hold lots of city enjoyment and loads of nerdy public health conversation. Hope everyone has a great week ahead---remember to hold our veterans in your thoughts!

The best to each of you....