Road Trip (Louisiana to NC)

So the road trip has been going well! It's been nice to catch up with old friends and to see more of the South of the country. I really loved driving through the beautiful states of Alabama and South Carolina, and the history along the roads I traveled through South Carolina was incredible! Along the road you pass tobacco and cotton fields and can see the old plantation homes with their outbuildings. So much history to make you think along the journey about how much has changed in this country yet how much is still left to be improved.

However one of my favorite things about being here in North Carolina where I've been staying this weekend is that several transplanted Oregonians are also here. It's been wonderful to actually converse with others about things like local produce and steps toward sustainability. The husband of my best friend has a converted diesel truck so he and I spent time yesterday talking about things such as veggie oil and alternative energy sources. We also took their recycling to the nearby center and they accompanied me to a farmer's market store....I felt like I was near heaven. One of Oregonians is also part of Ft. Bragg's Environmental Program and she and I were able to talk about the steps they are being implemented to increase sustainability on Army posts across the country.

However being away from what is now home has also made me realize just how much I love and appreciate my own little family of my husband and our dog. I'm glad to have been able to get out and see and do while I can, but I'm definitely going to be ready to be back home too. My best friend, her husband, my husband, and I are all from the same home town (and her husband actually introduced my husband and I) and I think it's been interesting for them to see me feeling so settled, as this is really the first time they've seen me since I got married. Tomorrow I leave for Georgia where I will be visiting my husband's best friend and his wife. She and I have been engaged in a lot of supportive emails over the last two months and it will be wonderful to finally meet her and to see the historic Savannah!


I hope everyone has been doing well! Blessings to you and yours!

Of Recent Happenings

So many times I intend to sit down and blog yet just never really get down to it. However several good things have happened in the last few weeks:

--I made sun tea re-using a bulk sized old pickle jar, and it actually turned out really well!

--I made Amish White Bread from scratch which my husband loved and we used for several different things. And once it got old and crusty the dog loved it for a snack too.

--The husband hung a second laundry line in the garage, so now it's much easier to do all the wash on the same day just about. We still run the dryer for a few things but for less time and for less stuff.

--The couple living with us has their own place now just down the road, which makes it very convenient for our husbands to commute to work together most days and it's nice to still have them close enough yet far enough away for privacy also.

--Ironically the wife was over here the other day telling me about how they've continued to recycle now in their house and how she even caught herself washing out a plastic ziploc bag to re-use the other day. ;-) So it's nice to see that some things will indeed stick. The husband gets this big proud grin every time he buys something organic and can't wait to tell us.

--I've made a new friend in the last week who has a dog similar to ours, who is actually close to my age and interests. We're just getting to know each other but at least it's potentially some positive community!

--The 3 of us in my family: husband, dog, and I found a great hiking/camping area about 30 minutes from here. We went hiking two weekends ago and had a really great time. The particular trail that we went along had placards naming many of the flora along the trail, and it was great to finally be able to start putting names to the plants I've been wondering about the last two months!

--The husband and I have also continued to realize that for the most part we really enjoy our own cooking together other than processed/prepared food around here, so it's been great to spend the evenings when he is home coming up with stuff. I also really enjoy that we actually sit down at our dining room table to eat and enjoy each other's company.....I just feel it's a really good habit to get in and a great part of our day when it does happen.

--Last week I applied for 5 jobs. Although 3 of them aren't very likely to go anywhere due to the process around here of who gets priority, at least I felt like I was moving toward something. I also attended a fair like thing on post for wives wanting to get involved and was connected with two ladies who are passing my information up the chain. Who knows if it will ever pan into a job (this whole process has happened before) but again at least it's nice to know that people definitely think I'm employable. Although apparently my husband saw a headline the other day that stated that the unemployment rate for military wives is at 18% right now, so obviously I'm not the only one with these same frustrations. I had a frustration last week when after only 3 weeks of being open (and right as I was about done with the application) they closed the sub teacher application process...so now I'll have to wait until October when they reopen if I don't have a job before then. (Although I couldn't help but think as I drove out the parking lot that day: Well maybe God doesn't want me in the school system down here....)

--And since the husbands can now commute together (and because there has been a lot of drama around this place lately), my husband is letting me take the car and go visit my best friend in North Carolina for a week. Since I don't have a job yet, it's really the perfect opportunity and driving will make it a much cheaper trip. An additional perk is that another one of my buddy's and his family are stationed in Alabama and I can stop along the way to finally see them also. And if it works out I'll get to go visit the husband's best friend and his wife (who I've been in contact with a lot lately) who live near Savannah, also. So hopefully it's going to be a fabulous trip!!

--The trip though will be done fairly frugally. We took the car in for its needed oil change yesterday and I'll buy gas. I'll pack granola bars and water, etc for on the way, and then will eat at the homes where I'll stay. The best friend and I are going to head to the beach one day, as I've been missing the actual ocean for sure, but most everything we do will be on the cheap. I've still got birthday money and just enough from our monthly budget to cover the trip, and the mental health break will definitely be worth it! Although I'm going to really miss my own little family for sure!!

---Yesterday I made oatmeal white chocolate chip cookies from things found on hand and using my Granny's recipe. Today I hope to make dog biscuits from scratch so the husband has something to give the dog while I'm away. Then I've just gotta focus on packing! ;-)

Big hugs to everyone....hope the last several weeks have been wonderful!

How Time Gets Away

Sometimes I really don't know where the time gets away. I spent a few weeks being extremely homesick, a few days being incredibly frustrated about not having a job, every day interacting with the guests in our home, and most days filling up the time somehow or another. The days of homesickness were difficult but the husband and I have had some good conversations and his support has been wonderful. It's definitely been a challenge continuing to adjust to this area with minimal resources, but somehow I'm just not up to the point just yet of pulling on my shoes and forcing major change in this area. However, I am starting to get there. Case in point: coming from Oregon I seriously thought that styrofoam was pretty much only used for packing materials sometimes. When you move to Louisiana you discover that take out containers, disposable plates, etc are all made of the evil styrofoam. One more Sunday of after church fellowship and I'm pretty sure the question will be leaving my lips "Why in the world are you still using styrofoam?!"

The dog, while adorable, has proven to be quite the handful. We now have to know where she is constantly and even then she still takes a mile when we give her an inch. The same morning my husband found her digging a hole in the backyard and chewing on the neighbor's cable wire, she also broke off his habanero pepper. Several days prior she had dug out the flower box that was blocking the opening under the fence so she couldn't access the neighbor dogs. And after two "accidents" on the living room carpet, she resides in a baby-gated area of our kitchen. Although that area shrank when we discovered her chewing on the kitchen cupboards! She definitely is trainable (she's already picked up a few commands and is doing much better on our walks) but she also likes to push the limits for sure! However at 10 months and in a second home, much of this is to be expected and hopefully she'll age out of some of these behaviors too. For now, we keep her in the kitchen or outside and make sure that we can see her, and 8 new cinder blocks don't allow her access under the fence. The beauty of the blocks is that we hope we can plant flowers and veggies in the openings......well, as long as the dog doesn't eat them!

I've been getting stressed lately about the debt load that I am now carrying due to my student loans and still trying to pay off my/our car. While I'm very good with money, I also don't like to place my financial burdens on my husband's shoulders and the transition to currently being financially dependent on a man has been a struggle. However with the house now being settled, a regular financial schedule is able to be implemented especially as we get into more of a routine together. I'm still anxiously awaiting a decent job though so I can contribute something more to getting out of debt, and I'm seriously wondering why I didn't get an education in a more technical health field---as the jobs there are consistently available.

However I've also been pleased to see some major strides here in our household. My darning thread and needle has come back out (albeit to fix the dog's toys and make them last longer), our housemates come home seeking praise everytime they make a new stride in the organic/sustainable/natural department, the husband and I have been attempting evening walks with the dog when he's not working which have become some of our favorite moments, we finally settled on and hung my old drapes up in the bedroom, and we're consistently talking about how to make more strides here (ahem, I'd love a way to compost!!, let's cook more from scratch, and how about another laundry line in the garage?!). And ironically, while I hate using plastic from a health standpoint, here in Louisiana I'd almost rather prefer buying plastic over glass because at least we can recycle the glass.

Additionally after my morning run today, the dog and I went on a decent walk and finally checked out a trail that heads at the start of our neighborhood. The dog did the best she'd ever done running the trail and being surrounded by woods and that earthy smell did my soul some major good. Add onto that the fact that I've re-engaged with one of my devotional books....and I'm starting to really feel like I'm doing well again. Now if only....I actually could blog with some consistency! ;-)

Backyard Goodies!

The pineapple starts from the couple who left.

The hub's Habenero pepper which has begun to turn since this picture was taken.

The tomato that while short has finally put on a few blossoms and the yellow bell pepper.

Geico, the lizard, who shed his dark skin two weeks ago and was green as glory one morning!

I don't have any current pictures of the basil, but it's filled out incredibly. All the produce was planted in organic feed material....so it's the closest we may come to having organic produce! Hopefully they'll produce something, but we'll have to see how it all progresses. We had some massive rains lately that almost over watered the plants, but they seemed to survive in tact.

Introducing Anna--the Pound Pup!

As mentioned, the husband and I had stopped on Monday to look at dogs. We've been discussing the idea of getting a dog/cat since before I got here, and I definitely wanted us to get one from the Humane Society. During the last week we'd looked at several dogs online and discussed what we were looking for in a potential dog for our home. We both wanted a gentle female dog, and I wanted one that would be larger so I could run with her. My husband hoped for a short hair dog and I wanted one that was so ugly it was cute, so how we wound up with what could very well be a full bred 9 month old German Shepherd puppy I'm not entirely sure! But upon meeting her we just couldn't resist her sweet demeanor and felt that she would be right for our home.

The first place we had stopped had several adorable dogs but none of which were larger dogs, although there were several we were potentially interested in. (And ironically there is a kitten there that stole our heart, so he/she may be joining us later.) However I think we both felt guilty not adopting a dog from there as the place was rather depressing and smelly to be in. The first place was in a smaller county (here called parishes) and is staffed and run by volunteers only. Whereas the second place was government run and appeared to have cleaner and more organized facilities.

Our dog we selected had been there for a few weeks after being relinquished by her original owner who no longer could care for her. We have a few concerns that she may have been mishandled as she cowers upon meeting new people, but hopefully time and love will soothe her worries. She was one of the few dogs in the shelter who actually didn't bark even though the rest of the dogs did. She appeared incredibly sweet and was adorable to boot, so we didn't hesitate on selecting her. She had to be spayed and the facility had a two day wait period after selecting dogs, but we picked her up on Wednesday afternoon and brought her home.

Ironically we already had to take her on a vet run yesterday and discovered that she has intestinal worms and what we hope is only pneumonia. The old saying that "free" dogs are never free continues to ring true, but we are happy to be able to provide her with a comfortable and loving home. She's on two different antibiotics at the moment and seems to be feeling better. The vet techs were also the ones who mentioned the fact that she probably is actually full bred. So while I've never been one to think I need a full bred dog, we still rationalize that what we've paid for her is actually cheaper than what it would have cost for the spaying and all the immunizations that she has already had and definitely cheaper than paying for her "full bred" cost.

Luckily at 9 months she appears to be fairly well house trained. So as long as we can continue to train her and get her over these initial ailments, then hopefully it will be an easy transition for her into her new home.

We ended up naming her Anna. And if we go back for the cat s/he will be named Louis/e. That way we'll be sure to remember our time here in this state with Louise Anna in our lives for years to come! ;-)

Sharing Spaces/Sharing Lives

As discussed in a previous post, part of the military life to me (and what makes any good community) is taking care of one's own. While I haven't seen this occur within our neighborhood per se, I did describe the generosity of several others in helping my husband and I set up home. I think I also mentioned how part of me feels that God has us here as a means to help support and provide for others who may need it. And since that realization we have had several opportunities to put it into practice.

We currently have another couple living with us. They just recently got legally married and were put on the post housing wait list for their own home with an estimated wait time of six to eight weeks. Until the home would become available they had planned to stay mainly in the barracks but also spend some time here. However the day that she arrived on post, the Army also issued her husband a roommate for his barracks room, so the two of them are living here with us until their own home is available. Luckily for all of us, we had plenty of space for them to join us and I'm pretty sure my hubby's been glad that I've had something else to occupy my time during the days.

Sharing the space has been going fine, although I'm trying really hard to not let my old organizational nature get the best of me. Since I've been occupying my time mainly by cleaning and organizing, my preference has gone back to the days when I really liked things to be just so. However it's got to be an adjustment for both of them living in our home, especially with many of the lifestyle choices that my husband and I do make. I've been impressed with both of their willingness to recycle and conform to some of our "funnier" ways (aka washing out plastic sandwich bags, etc), and rather appreciate that they don't seem annoyed when I do go around turning off lights and moving more items into the recycling. Lately, I can't help but wonder if some of these funny ways of living might stick and be implemented in their own home, but we'll just have to wait and see. It's a hard place to be--not wanting to impose your beliefs and choices onto someone else, yet also wanting them to understand and implement those practices for good.

In the last month or so we've had quite a few individuals over for dinner or BBQing, as we'd really like to have our home be a comfortable and open place for many others in my husband's unit to enjoy. Last evening we all had another couple over for the first time, who also are fairly recently married and newish (May) to the area. Sometimes I feel quite like the old wife amongst the 19-21 year old wives, but I can't help but think there is a reason for this too. Many of the other wives also spend most of their days sitting at home, alone, without any real resources or involvement on post, so the gal who is currently staying with us and I are attempting to pool together some of the wives to see if we can get some support started. If there's one thing I'm learning from my observations around here, happier wives lead to happier marriages which also, of course, lead to happier husbands.

In other news, I have been longing for many Oregon-esq things lately. Mainly being produce, sea breeze, access to a variety of natural products, like-minded individuals, and of course my family and friends (who also tend to fall into that like-minded category). The highlight of my afternoon on Thursday was having a 5 minute conversation with another wife in the on-post store about which water filter was better and why. To actually converse with another person who cares about these issues, takes steps to protect her family's health, and appeared worried about the local pollution....I seriously wanted to take her by the hand and ask her right then and there to be my new best friend! (I hesitated cause a) I didn't want her to think I'd gone crazy and b) she appeared at least 15 years older than me and with 4 kids in tow.) However I'm hopeful that maybe, just maybe there will be others like her at some point and I'm encouraged to even run into one somewhat like-minded individual at this point!

And with that I will close this posting for now. Still working on the volunteer/job thing. At this point, I think almost any job would be worthwhile just so I'm contributing something and utilizing the gifts that I do have to give. Hope everyone has been enjoying a wonderful weekend!