Happy Birthday, Major Resident

It's November and I'm seeing friends list all the things they're thankful for each day on Facebook. If I did that, I'd be a mushy puddle of goo. I'm incredibly thankful, don't get me wrong. I have an amazing family, the best boyfriend in the universe, the best sons a woman could ask for, amazing friends and support systems and my health is good. I have a home, food and am in want for nothing. (Except coffee and chocolate. You can never have too much of those!) But I don't want to save all my thanks for just one month in a post a day.

Today, I'm most thankful for that boyfriend. Who knows where we're headed but this life we lead is fraught with twists and turns and I enjoy seeing the surprises down every curve. We've both been on extreme roll coasters in our lives and come out with the largest teddy at fair. Today, God granted him another birthday. I pray God will grant us another 44 years together, as we were missing so much time together.

I WAS able to sneak onto base with the help of two of his unit crew. Had a cake and cookies and a bunch of people signed a card. I want him to know that he DOES make a difference in the lives of those around him. It's not something he's use to, that's for sure. Throughout the day, I've had friends and family call the house and my cell with messages of good wishes and happiness for his day. ALso bought Avenue Q tix for this weekend. SO excited! I have a few more surprises up my sleeves but until the day is done, I can't reveal. He reads this blog. :)

Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet!

As I said on my own FB:

A few years ago, he showed me friendship. Time passed & it became compassion when my heart hurt the worst. A bit more time & I returned the favor. I couldn't imagine my life without him now, without the laughter & love. Happy Birthday to a most incredible man!  

What's love got to do with it?

*Warning: you may be offended

I cried today. A happy cry because of all the love in my life and a bittersweet cry bemoaning that I couldn't share that kind of love years ago. But that's silly. I had that kind of love but didn't know how to show it or return it and neither could the person I loved. So an impasse came and went. And we are now stronger for it as we learned how to break free from the constraints of miscommunication and are able to show others who communicate the way we do just what love means to us.

And I cried after the following video. I'll share with you why first. Because I want you to listen to this woman's every.single.word. Absorb them, hear them, understand them. Regardless of who is saying them to whomever.

Because these words ring true for every human being on earth, those who love and love deeply, no matter the skin color, gender or creed. There are those who would say the love of one person to another is unnatural, just because those two people have the same parts. But take away the sexual organs and you're still left with beating hearts that speed up with fear and love, slow down with comfort and rest. Souls that are still shiny under the smudge of years. Human thoughts that were innocent as children, jaded as teens, growing still as adults. We are all left with the same things in death. The pharmaceutical world would have us use our parts into old age but really, these vaginas, breasts, penises, parts are not our entirety.

And our entirety deserves love.

Thank you immalittlestrange and B for bringing this artist to my attention.

For 50 years, you were my favorite poem 

And I’d read you every night, knowing I might never understand every word 

But that was okay because the lines of you were the closest thing to holy I’d ever heard. 

You’d say, “This kind of love HAS to be a verb.”

I can only pray we live for another 50 years to enjoy each other like this. 

Home, sweet, homey

My internet has been shoddy the last couple of days so when it's working, I'm working. No time to write for myself though the Blogger app works well enough.

Recouping from Seattle and still haven't downloading those bazillion pictures yet. However, I've managed to get the house in usable order again and we're decorating for Halloween! The Major's birthday is right around the holiday and he usually does a big party. He didn't get to last year so this year we're doing it out right! You should see the bags and bags of decorations. There are skulls and spider webs and candles everywhere and it's set to be glamorous spooky. Think Addams Family.

We also had a duct cleaning service come out today to clean out the vents and all I can say is GROSS! More than 2 gallons  (7.57 litres) of dust, dirt and grime. Blech! But at least it'll be cleaner for us and our guests.

Speaking of things I wanted to get done, I've pretty much finished the window seat dressings, as promised. Want to see?? Simply wrapped old pillows in the fabric and tucked it in. Reversible fabric is my friend!

Window #1 

Window #2

This fabric was used in BOTH windows!
It's reversible and the colors blend with either room.

I know. You're thrilled. :) I love decorating our house and making it a home. Love to the readers and hi to new folks in South Africa!

Sleepless in Seattle - living a chick flick

What an absolutely amazing trip! Seattle is everything I thought it would be and more. The Major and I really needed this trip to unwind, reconnect with friends and enjoy time together just exploring. It's best to just see some of the more than 600 pics we took instead of telling you about everything we did. And we did ALL the things! Click on them to enlarge. (All photos taken by me unless expressly credited. Please do not steal and repost as your own!) :)

Mt. Rainer greeting us from the plane.

The flower market at Pike's Place.

HUGE variety of veggies/fruits

Chinese musician

We rode the Duck! (It's a bus that turns into a boat.)

My favorite store - Bella Umbrella had 100s of different
umbrellas for every occasion. 

The Major bought me this one. 

Amazing apple butter date pastry from
the Dahlia Bakery.

It's an ad agency! Rubber chickens &
indoor 9 hole golf course included.

The notorious nasty Gum Wall. EW

One of the largest ferris wheels in the world.

A traditional fall shot of the Space Needle.

Our hotel. I suggest the suite. 

An afternoon well spent with friends - photo HDRossfeld

See? Well spent. photo HDRossfeld

The slugs are enormous in the PNW!

Our Jack Skellington creation!

Seattle art rocks! Giant lamppost 

Gimme a break! (I need it)

Sorry to the fans expecting updates nearly every day. I've been totally swamped with work and life. We're going to Seattle tomorrow for a little trip to see wonderful friends and I haven't even started packing yet!! EEK! Add to that the Major pulling a back muscle yesterday while trying to dog proof the garage, the laundry needing to be finished and getting the kids settled in with their dad.

WHEW!! It's been crazy. Wish us well on our way to the PNW! Pics to follow later. Yay, Space Needle and Pike's Market!

Hi to new readers in Israel and Columbia!

Shhhh, be vewy, vewy quiet

It's been one of those weeks. Thus, the radio silence. I posted a bunch of pics of our camping trip from last weekend but thought better of it after since there were faces of friends in them. Best to keep this blog more centered and sort of anonymous. Though many of my fans come from Facebook and know who I speak of in this blog, it's better not to reveal much as I get pretty damn personal here. Here's a repost some of the pics: (It rained most of the weekend but we had a blast nonetheless!)

 

 
 


Tuesday would have been my 13th anniversary, had I remained married. I spent most of the day in a dark funk, letting all the demons and Lindsey run rampant on me. My insecurities about my abilities, my body and my worth as the half in a relationship really ate at me, leaving big holes in my heart. The only thing I regret about leaving is that I caused "A" a great deal of unintentional hurt. (Told ya it was personal.) Luckily, we've been talking more and trying to stay on an even keel as co-parents. I still love him in a lot of ways as he's a good man and deserves much happiness. There. How's that for getting the sappy out of the way?

Topping that off with the Major having an insane schedule this week with training missions and barely seeing him unless he's asleep. He left again at 0200. It'll be nice for us to go on vacay soon to see some dear friends up north. We finally had a date night yesterday and I HIGHLY recommend you see Looper with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. Blew my mind to pieces!

Sorry for the pity party and the bare bones post. It'll have to do, lovely readers. Thanks to new follows in the Netherlands and Taiwan. :)

I'm awake! I'm awake!

Sometimes I just need to get political.

I adore Samuel L. Jackson for his no-nonsense style of acting. He's got it all under control but you know there's some crazy lurking under there. From Pulp Fiction and Snakes on a Plane to Black Snake Moan and his roles in Star Wars and the Matrix, people have a tendency to listen when he talks. Maybe it's all the F-bombs he drops that somehow don't seem to be gratuitous but rather are strategic missiles used to make his points. Maybe it's the deep voice and oh-so-serious-but-you-better-believe-he'll-cut-you look. Whatever it is, I hope this newest video of his serves as the morning alarm everyone needs to hear.

Today, I present this video from MoveOn.org for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure if you're on the opposite spectrum):

Guess you know who I'm voting for...