Week Wear M3

Bahaha---all skirts/dresses again :) And here's an attempt at using my good camera rather than the Iphone.

TUESDAY: Long office day & teaching

(black tights & poppy dress: Freddies; black cardi, flats, & longsleeved shirt: Target; belt: Ross)

WEDNESDAY: Office & Teaching (so cold this day!)

(black long sleeve shirt: Target; argyle sweater & black leather boots: Penney's; black tights: Freddies; tweed skirt: thrifted)

THURSDAY: Teaching

(cami, flats, skirt: Target; belt: gifted; flowered button-up: Penney's)

FRIDAY: staff & event planning meeting

(blue flats & teal cardi: Target; striped tank: H&M; gray cordoruy skirt: Walmart; gray coat: Costco; jewelry: Freddies)

I'm beginning to realize most my clothes come from Target and Penney's with a few items that were thrifted, from Walmart when we lived in the rural south, or from Ross or Freddies. Of course there's the occasional JCrew or BananaRepublicOutlet thrown in there. The other thing I'm realizing is that most of what I own is probably 2-7 years old, except for a few newer cardigans I've picked up this year. I'm enjoying this lil personal challenge of mixing it up however and attempting to use different items from my closet--love it!

Spring-ing

While we haven't gotten the raised beds ready for planting just yet, nor have we pruned back the marion berries, we do have quite a bit coming to life around the rental. We've had some COLD mornings (including 6 inches of snow on the coast!) with threats of snow again lately making this still an usual year of weather. Here's hoping we start to see some sunnier days with enough breaks to get out in the yard.

Rhubarb-coming up through the mulch/leaves

Garlic-just poking itself out of the ground

Asian Pear-buds just about to burst

Chickens-both are much broader and the 2nd started laying (I think). We developed into a regular routine now, we let them out at 7-7:30am and they burst across the yard happy to stretch their legs. They "free range" across the whole backyard and then put themselves to bed when it gets dark....and then we shut them in. They're out rain, snow, or shine---and for the most part during the last two weeks they've been doing alright. 

First spring flowers!

What's spring-ing in your part of the globe?

Another Weekend Away

Hiya folks and happier Monday!

As mentioned in my outfit post, I spent another weekend away. You might be thinking I'm running away from my full house but really I'm not....although I may have high-tailed it down the highway needing a mental health break from life---no lies. This time I headed directly for my other home---that town on the coast where my parents live, where I went to high school, where I met hub, and where there's just another vibe of life. I went thinking that I would feel so much more at ease and relaxed with time away, but in reality leaving here made me realize just how much I have here. I missed my dogs, my cats, my chickens, my bed....and I wanted nothing more than to be back where I could sit hub down for a long conversation. Originally I was going to come back today but instead I came back last night.

I took my time on the drive back---thinking about life, blaring the tunes, and appreciating the country. I took the back roads that hub isn't as keen to take and I breathed in remembering that views like the one below are what make Oregon forever feel like my home in my heart:

I might get tired of being home sometimes, but no other place has everything I could want.

My emotions have been all over the place the last two weeks--like perpetual PMS--it's been fabulous. Haha. I'm tired of work, tired of picking up the house, tired of not getting enough time with hub, tired of not being able to fix things for other people I love, tired of the gray days and ready for summer. An hour before I had to teach last Wednesday I also started feeling an UTI---needless to say I chugged an entire bottle of pure cranberry juice, five glasses of water, and then called class after two hours (an hour early) so I could come home to sleep it off. I stayed home Thursday morning and slept some more (and honestly I slept til 11am this morning). Since Thursday I haven't had any coffee, almost no alcohol, less sugar.....and what I've realized is that my body is exhausted and I'm probably more stressed by life in general than I've let myself realize. I also recognize however that there are many, many who have more to complain about than I---perspective is a good way to keep going.

Going home was good for many reasons. I spent time with Mom & Dad. One of my high school best friends fit me into her schedule for lunch on Saturday.....and our hour bitch fest again put my life in perspective and left us both looking forward to the road trip to come this August. I spent much time with hub's "fam"----visiting our newest "nephew" (hub's middle name sake), then attended the county beauty pageant to support our gal who was in it. On Sunday, I went to church with Mom and Dad---and just being there in the church of my youth and hearing the message, left me restored and remembering how much an important aspect of my life that needs to be. It's no wonder I get overwhelmed and whiny, when I start to lose perspective on what it's all about.

On the trip back I stopped briefly at my sister's and then headed over to my brother's to hang out for a bit. And then I arrived back to my house just as it was getting dark. Hub and I spent the rest of the evening wrapped up in conversation--not always the one we wanted to be having, but it was much, much needed and the resolution was closer to where we need to be. I so love that man but it's not always an easy road for either of us. A quick bite at 10pm, an episode of The Walking Dead snuggled on the couch together, and then some reading in bed before lights out---how time goes by so fast I'm always unsure!

This week is already looking like it'll be interesting. One of my vets is supposed to be coming to help put together a presentation, there's a staff meeting/event planning meeting on Friday, an urgent meeting got called for tomorrow morning, and then it's the final week of teaching and regular work week. Next week is finals, grades, and then I kid you not.....I will be sitting on my butt somewhere for the week of spring break---just two weeks to go and it can't get here soon enough!

As much as I'm tired and probably sounding full of complaints, I still recognize how good I have it. I have a solid husband who can melt my heart with a single look in the moments when he lets me see it. I have two rambunctious and loving dogs who bring so much joy to my life. I look out my back windows and see our chickens running around like crazies, laying their eggs in random places, but still being entertaining and productive. I have a warm, full home---one big enough to provide for others who need a place to be. I have great landlords. I have two jobs which allow me to educate and impact others, when all I really need is one. I have the freedom to choose whether or not I keep those jobs. I have parents and siblings who love me unconditionally and accept me for who I am. And when I grant the time I should to think about it, I have a Father who will continue to hold me in his palm--protecting, providing, and guiding. I have so much......that so easily gets overlooked in the minor concerns of the day.

More to say but this is already out of control---remind me to post about age---and feeling it :)

If you made it this far, I apologize for the internal word dump and I sincerely hope y'all had restoring weekends! But even more, I hope y'all have a great week ahead of you!

No Pants Week in March?

Just kidding--I'm not really planning on going the rest of March only in skirts and dresses, but I WAS incredibly thankful that we finally had some sunny days again this week to let me air out my gams. In all honesty, I absolutely feel more at home in skirts and dresses than in pants---I think it's mainly because nothing's squeezing the top of my waist or letting anything extra hang out on the sides. With a dress or a skirt, I just zip it all up or in---wham bam! 

So without further ado....here is my no-pants week (minus Friday, which isn't pictured, when I dressed in my other standby of beat-up jeans, a cami, a cardi, and beat up flats for a casual event planning meeting downtown)

MONDAY evening: Anniversary Dinner

So hub and I celebrated Tuesday's anniversary with dinner out on Monday. It was sort of a last minute decision but I decided to try to put some effort into looking nice for him....and I wanted to finally wear my tiger peep-toes I have yet to wear. I've also been wanting to come up with other ways to wear this dress and this was a new attempt for me. But let me tell ya, that might be the last time I dress up for hub, since he responded with a "why did you do that?!" Husbands......sigh. (He did later tell me that I looked really nice....but.....).

(dress & cardi: Target; black belt: gifted; tiger peep-toes: Naturalizer)

TUESDAY: Office & Teaching

(black skirt: Penneys; red flats & cardi: Target; white button-up: ?; chunky necklace: Freddies)

WEDNESDAY: Office & Teaching

Old skirt alert, but I'm trying to remix everything in my closet. Although this outfit felt more fall to me...and half of it is from Penney's when I worked there briefly seven years ago. (Wow, SEVEN years?! How has it been that long already?) Should the skirt stay or go?

(brown suede boots, brown tank, & skirt: Penneys; merlot cardigan: Sears; belt: Target; wood necklace: Freddies)

THURSDAY: Mainly teaching 

I LOVED this outfit to pieces. And from the numbers of wears that blue ruffled tunic is seeing, I'm impressed with how well it goes with so much...and to think I almost gave it away last summer.

(khaki skirt, blue ruffle tunic (resized), teal ruffled cardi, blue flats: all Target; blue necklace: Freddies)

SATURDAY evening: beauty pageant attendance

And I'm not going to lie....the leopard dress is a new purchase. I'm visiting family and I needed something cute to wear to watch my "sister" compete in the county beauty pageant tonight...so I ran around town trying to hunt something out and this is what I ended up with. I'm not sure what I think........thoughts??????? Is the leopard too much? 

(leopard dress w/ belt: sale Penneys ($19); black tights, cami, flats: Target)

Favorite outfit this week---hands down was Thursday, although Tuesday was a close runner up!

And PS, for those of you who do read the clothes posts....yes, I am realizing more and more that my lighting  and Iphone photo quality is horrible---apologies! :)

The Heart and the Fist

Image from here.

Alright folks, this book was A-MA-ZING and so right up my alley currently. Eric Greitens presents different parts of his journey through life. He discusses becoming a boxer while at Duke, participating in humanitarian projects across the world, attending Oxford, and then at the same time as when he had offers to teach and contract, he discusses his choice to become an officer/Navy SEAL. I loved many things about this book but one of the major reasons that it struck a cord with me was Greitens personal journey from idealist humanitarian to realist soldier----and somehow I feel that this mimics my own journey from lofty social worker to public health advocate to military spouse and veteran sympathizer. Greitens argument is that there is a need for both idealist/realist or warrior/humanitarian to exist in the world however and I couldn't agree with him more.

The first chapter left me in tears (mainly as I am currently so intertwined with so many veterans who have served overseas), but the rest of the book kept me nodding my head and earmarking pages. I learned more about the military and about current efforts overseas. I heard my heart speaking and I heart Greiten just get so many of the things that do weigh on my heart and mind. I also was reminded of the strength that each of us does carry inside and was asked to take a hard look at my own commitment and journey in the larger world. And I would honestly recommend this book to everyone and really wish we had read it this time for book club.

So here are some of my favorite passages so I can unfold the pages and pass the book on for hub and housemate #1 to read next. :)

"Across the globe, even in the world's "worst places," people found ways to turn pain into wisdom and suffering into strength. They made their own actions, their own lives, into a memorial that honored the people they had lost......On the frontlines---in humanitarian crises, in wars overseas, and around some kitchen tables here at home---I'd seen that peace is more than the absence of war, and that a good life entails more than the absence of suffering. A good peace, a solid peace, a peace in which communities can flourish, can only be built when we ask ourselves and each other to be more than just good, and better than just strong. And a good life, a meaningful life, a life in which we can enjoy the world and live with purpose, can only be built if we do more than live for ourselves."----pg 11.

"God, in Earl's view, had invested every person with strength, and it was our duty to develop that strength.....duty to use their strength in the service of God.....Earl rarely used the word, but his whole system of teaching and his whole way of living was built around the concept of honor. You honored God by using your time wisely, and you honored your fellow man by treating him with respect....."-----pg 38-39

"Bruce was both compassionate and demanding. Compassion was primary. He thought it criminal that people could grow up oblivious and unresponsive to the suffering of others. These are your neighbors, he would say. But he was hardheaded enough to know that having a loving, wide-open heart was only a start."---pg 75

"Here in Bolivia most of the kids played in bare feet, and they had as much fun as we ever had. Alone, human beings can feel hunger. Alone, we can feel cold. Alone, we can feel pain. To feel poor, however, is something we do in comparison to others."--pg 92

"If we want to change something, we must begin with understanding. But if we want to love something, we must begin with acceptance. ....Their love was built on patience, and their faith helped them to know that they couldn't do everything, but they did have to do what they could.....I admired their intentions but...there are some things---like civil society, like character, like a child's belief in the future---that cannot be achieved overnight. Humanitarians, warriors, scholars, and diplomats all do best when we recognize the difference between what we can fight for and what we must accept, between change that can be catalyzed and change that must be built over time, from within."--pg 106

"I learned how difficult it can be to stay focused when you're worried about someone that you love, and for that learning I am grateful......Of course, just like life doesn't stop at home, the mission overseas doesn't stop either, and those same men had to wake up the next day and get back to dangerous work. Emerson once wrote that concentration is the secret of strength. You can't chase two rabbits at once. And for men to perform overseas while their lives kept running at home, absolute concentration on the task at hand is essential."---pg 158 & speaking of the difficulty of "issues" happening at home during deployments

"I love American idealism. I love the hopeful spirit of Americans endeavoring to shape the world for the better. A lot of times, though, many Americans.....who have never spent a day working with people who suffer, can be blinded by the bright shining light of their own hopes. You cruise through a town where you don't speak the language and offer someone a conversation about freedom or fifty bucks, most people will take the cash, thank you very much. I'd learned.....the very simple lesson that people were smart enough to know what they needed, and if we wanted to have credibility with them, we had to be able to help them directly." ---pg 224

"The world, I believe, is not constructed so that is presents us with perfect choices. I'd joined the military in part, because I saw that to protect the innocent, we have to be willing to fight. It is also true, however, that for all the warrior's discipline, when we pick up the sword, innocents will suffer. ....The Greeks often talked about phronesis, practical wisdom...Phronesis is the ability to figure out what to do, while at the same time knowing what is worth doing. 

Phronesis allows soldiers to fight well and leaders to rule well, and, as Aristotle argued, it can only be obtained through experience. My own experiences....had not made me a militarist or a pacifist, or any kind of "ist." I knew that the world would continue to require us to make hard decisions about when we draw the sword and I'd seen that the use of force was both necessary and imperfect. There is no school of thought that can save us from the simple fact that the hard decisions are best made by good people, and that the best people can only be shaped by hard experience." ---pg 283 & 284

""Take care of your people" is one of the principal lessons of military leadership, and my people were not just SEALS, or SWCC, or the men in my targeting cell. Serving overseas, everyone in uniform is part of the same team. Everyone is away from their family. Everyone is exposed to danger. Everyone endures the same long, hot days, hears the same bad jokes, reads the same old magazines. Everyone loses friends. If we take care of our people on deployment, why should that change when we come home?"---pg 287 & 288

"Stockdale taught that as a leader, you must embrace reality and be brutally honest about the harsh facts of your situation. At the same time, you must maintain hope." --pg 289

"Our wounded and disable veterans had lost a lot. Some had lost their eyesight. Some their hearing. Some had lost limbs. All of that they could recover from. If they lost their sense of purpose, however, that would be deadly. I also knew that no one was going to be able to give them hope; they were goign to have to create hope through action." --pg 291

"Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning, wrote that human beings create meaning in three ways: through their work, through their relationships, and by how they choose to meet unavoidable suffering. Every life brings hardship and trial, and every life also offers deep possibilities for meaningful work and love. 

I've learned that courage and compassion are two sides of the same coin, and that every warrior, every humanitarian, every citizen is built to live with both. In fact, to win a war, to create peace, to save a life, or just to live a good life requires of us--of every one of us---that we be both good and strong."--pg 297

LOVED IT. Please read.

Outfits & The Week in Review

MONDAY: Meeting & Errands

Usually I don't formally work on Mondays (I do a lot of emails, planning, and grading at home), but last Monday one of my vets had a presentation to give to the campus president so I wanted to make sure he was there and it went well (he forgot the last time he was scheduled.....). Luckily it also gave me another chance to address some of the campus big wigs on veterans issues and events, so it turned out to be a win-win. However, I also stepped it up a professional notch.....and pulled some of my oldest work wear out of the closet.

(wrap dress & cami: Target; tights & jewelry: Freddies; boots: Penney's; blazer: Macy's)

TARGET PURCHASES

And then I "had" to stop at Target----which led to a big fat shopping fail on my part. :) I stopped to get gift cards for my sister's family (3 of them have March birthdays) and to pick up a baby gift for the front desk worker at the distance campus I also teach at....but I couldn't help but wander over to the clothes section.....

....and cardis & camis were on sale......and then the tweed dress you see above was on clearance....and they all made their way into my basket and out of the door. (Hub was oh.so.glad to see yet another cardigan, but I can't tell you the number of times I've wished I had a gray one......)

That cardi, cami, jean outfit got me through the afternoon and evening though---which included cleaning the house, finishing grading, picking up the yard, having a heart-to-heart with one housemate, attempting to read more, making an awesome take on a curry dish over couscous, and the like.

TUESDAY: Meetings & Teaching

The day started off with my dropping off one housemate at work before I headed to another campus for meetings. I meant to change before I taught, but I ran out of time as my morning meetings turned into a working lunch that continued into the early afternoon.....and then I was left with just enough time to drive to my campus, finishing prepping/make copies, and teach. I sort of feel like this was a bit too casual for the usual vibe I try to give off while teaching however.

(cardigan, cami, dark jean pencil skirt, black ruffled blouse: Target; boots: Penneys)

The rest of the evening was spent doing a P90X work-out, getting ready for the next day, and then keeping one of the housemates company while he made the most amazing gumbo from scratch (including a veggie portion for me!!). It seriously was delish and just may have been one of my first exposures to okra.

WEDNESDAY: Office & Teaching

You can't really see the plaid in the red button-up shirt, nor that it was tucked in. Nor do you see the brown belt that started up around my waist, then made it's way around my hips, then under the sweater as the day progressed (and somewhere in there I also had one of my vets put two more holes in it in order to distract him from whatever was bothering him). Today was my extra long day in the office this last week, followed by my usual late night of teaching, followed by 30 minutes with a student after class, followed by an hour of reading for the next day's meeting in another town, followed by showering/eating/cleaningthekitchen/throwing random clothes in an overnight bag and crashing into bed somewhere between 11pm and 1230am.

(red plaid button-up, brown suede boots, brown tweed pencil skirt: Penney's; cream cardi: Target)

THURSDAY: Out of town meeting

Cue random snow arrival over night. Okay, so the snow had been discussed but I was oh.so.hopeful it wouldn't arrive.....and I was oh.so.thankful for my AWD vehicle as I hauled down the interstate running late for my meeting/conference on veterans issues that was in the town an hour south of us. Waking up at 5:45am on a potential snow day (for a meeting that ended up only leaving me annoyed.....) wasn't exactly my ideal way to start a day, and I honestly struggled with selecting something appropriate to wear. The outfit I came up with above was attempt #3 or so and at that point I was already 20 minutes behind schedule, so while it's boring, it was also my last ditch effort. Beg your pardon of the photo, I had to snag it from Granny's bathroom mirror....... :)

(gray pinstripe pants & black cami: Target; white cardi: Walmart; black suede boots: Penneys; black belt: gifted)

And yep, you read that right. I'd already arranged for someone to cover my Thursday evening class (moved the exam to that date), so I was able to spend a few days with Granny. (First I stopped off at a friends place who I have hardly had the opportunity to see since we've moved back---SO great getting to catch up with her and see her beautiful pregnant belly!) But then I headed over to Granny's and off to dinner for burgers and beers we went. I ended up staying until this morning (Saturday) and it was amazing to go to bed super early both nights (9:30pm!!), eat on a regular schedule, and really just spend some time enjoying and butting heads with Granny. :)

FRIDAY: Errands

And you've seen this outfit before and will see it again.....it's one of my favorites honestly and I've been itching to wear it with my black pencil skirt and boots to work---but it's a standby. Granny and I woke up late, breakfasted, and then headed off to run her errands. She always loves to get cards at Hallmark, so we headed downtown to pick up three months of birthday cards for the family (and to grab me a stronger coffee!). After lunch and a rest, we picked up her groceries and a few other things she needed......and then we decided to see if my sister's crew could celebrate their birthdays with pizzas in their town. Soon enough Granny and I loaded up again and headed over there for pizzas and beer for dinner.....topped off with homemade cake made by my sister. We also got to see my great-niece (Granny's great-great grand-daughter), and it was so cute watching her play with the tea set Granny got her.

(jeggings: Walmart; cami & sweater: Target; scarf: Freddies; black suede boots: Penneys)

SATURDAY: Return Home

You've also seen this outfit before but it's another great weekend standby. This morning I changed the sheets on my bed at Granny's, breakfasted with her and got her set-up with her schedule for the day (2pm Beanbag baseball practice & 7pm Blazers on TV), and then I met my brother for coffee before leaving town. I made it back in record time and then was able to run up to campus to complete a few of the things that I'd scheduled to do this afternoon. Coming home, I did some laundry, unpacked, and picked up after the dogs & chickens out back. Blog completed, hub's dinner eaten (cod fish tacos w/ mango slaw), now it's time to attempt some quality time with hub before bed.

(black leggings & flats (not pictured): Target; purple sweater dress: Dress Barn)

Clothing wise I feel the week was a bit boring, but I'm okay with it. Sometimes we compromise in some areas in order to live our lives more fully in others. The two days of work in Portland were way busier than most, I'm "sharing" more in more ways than I used to, and the end of this week saw me getting to spend time with my gal (who I hadn't seen since last summer), my sister's family (also since last summer), my brother (last seen on New Years), and this was the first time I've spent the night at Granny's in almost three years. I'd say that the lamer outfit choices were well worth the extra time spent with loved ones and the busyness of the work days! :)

Hope you all had a good week too!