Dresser or Closet?

It occured to me recently--after spending some time fretting over where I was going to put everyone's clothing--that I am not an avid closet space user. Hanging clothes? Forget about it. It doesn't really occur to me to hang things up. In 12 years of marriage I have continued to stuff more and more clothes into drawers.

Until now. It hit me during this recent relocation, HANG THE CLOTHES.

Simple solution. It's just a matter of figuring out what fits in the drawers... shirts? pants? casual?
And what's easier to hang, pants? Shirts? Honestly, I even put my bras in the closet after this revelation. I've been mashing my bras for years in order to fit them in a little underwear draw.

No more!

In our new house, we have nice closet space and I am utilizing it, fully. Totally.

Photo found on Creative Jewish Mom

I'm even excited about it a little because I color coded the hangers. :D
Turquoise for Virginia.
Black for Little Matt.
Blue for Thomas and Sean.
Big Matt has Army bought wire hangers--YICK.
and I have the hodge podge of hangers we've collected over the last 12 years.

So tell me, what are you?
A closet person or a dresser person?

The Biggest Adjustment

You want to know something funny? After nine months, the hardest thing to wrap my brain around is that soldiers don't "do" anything.

Let me tell you, my husband is my pride. He is a hero. Training is his life and serving his country is now his full time job.... He has a job. He is employed.

Life isn't the same, though. The 9-5 job of an accountant is gone. No more deadlines. No bottom line. The goal of a soldier is to be prepared, be trained, be ready to lead and follow the call of duty. Somedays, Matt will be home after 6am physical training and other days he'll be home by lunch. And still there are days he's not home until dinner time or later. On occasion, he pulls a night shift and is on the clock from late afternoon to the next morning.

My friend and I were talking once about how the commissary [grocery store] is always busy. You know what she said? It's because no one works.

Busy, yes.

Working?

I don't know. I have to wrap my brain around this new version of work. IT'S WEIRD!

I think I love it. <3

Miracle Monday

I've been avoiding this place. I see it around the corner and run the other way. It tries to catch my eye, but I fake a yawn and turn away like I don't see it there. Occasionally, I even pretend we're friends and I sit and chat, but at the last minute I make an excuse that I have to leave... oh the kids are crying or I left something on in the kitchen.

But it's Monday today. And at least today, I can focus on the miracles. Seriously, I need a miracle day. Just one day to remember that life has it's good moments, too. Otherwise, I start focusing on all the stuff that feels off... like my computer problems--darn, technology. :( Or the fact that I feel like an utter failure when it comes to buying b-day presents for my son [shouldn't I know what to buy a boy who is blind?! I birthed him, didn't I? I know what he likes!]. Like how I spend a nice quiet morning with my husband, only for us to find out that he didn't get the message about reporting two and half hours earlier than originally posted, and he might miss out on the schooling that he wants to do. :( Grrrr. And then, when I know it's not his fault to say in my head [and to him, actually], "I told you to carry that damn phone with you!!" You mght have only been a half an hour late if you hadn't left your phone upstairs!

See? See what I mean? No wonder I've been avoiding this place. I'm worried about scaring all my readers away. hahaha.

MIRACLE MONDAY, the reminder that my world is bigger than the annoyances of daily living.

Today i'll go bigger and celebrate my son who was born 6 years ago, yesterday.
When I spent weeks worried about hydrocephelas and mental retardation, shunts and surgeries, I was gifted a son who has no eye on the left and no sight on the right. He is smart. Soooo incredibly smart, he will someday do great things with his extraordinary capabilities.  Until then, he enjoys farting noises and peepee jokes. He loves to read and can tell a great joke. He gives warm hugs and loves just about everyone he meets.

Miracle Monday

We were told last week that Matt would be able to come home for leave and ten days of TDY [temporary duty] so we could all move to GA. Yay! That's way better than having to report for duty immediately following graduation. :P

We've been praying for this. So thank you God for pulling that one through. I can not tell you how happy it makes me that my husband will be able to come home and just be here for a little while. You know it would have been fine if we'd had to move down there without him. The end result IS the same, but it's nice to say goodbye together. We've had some good times in this town and made some wonderful friends. This is better. WAY better.

I'll be off this week [again] to go get him. :D
If the blog goes silent, you know why.
Enjoy these hot, dog days of summer.
They won't last.
With Love,
Bethanne

Bored with Blogging?

If you answered yes to that question, I understand how you feel.  I think it's the time of year. Summer. Kids home 24/7. No break. No time for me. Why in God's name would I want to spend my itty bitty time at the computer blogging?

Well, let's answer that as a hormonal, husband-deprived woman.
I wouldn't.

And now as a mother.
This place can really help me vent.

Finally, as a writer.
This is a place to focus my efforts. When my writing has taken a back seat to other priorities, this is where I can formulate ideas and keep in touch with friends, fans and strangers. It's not a bad place for shooting the breeze, either.

Today, I'm working on something new, I think.
Just going to open a blank document and start spitting words.
Have a great day.
With Love,
Bethanne

Bethanne 0 [okay, maybe .4], Progressive 1

Well, it's over. Settled. What a crock. Obviously, I'm not over it completely because if you wanted I could sit with you and rant over the injustice of the system for a good bit of time. But, I have other things to do. I have life to live [no thanks to that stupid girl who doesn't know how to drive and is probably still on the road today]. hahaha. :D

Next stop?

My husband's graduation and GEORGIA!
I'm moving to Georgia! ACK! What do I do?!?!

I know. Get rid of my winter coat. What an awesome break that's going to be. I've been living up North so long, a year down south is something to look forward to. Of course, I think I'll always end up back North. I'm a Northern girl at heart. Four seasons. Colorful autumns. Cold winters. Coffee. Lots of blankets. Snuggling down with my lover... and warm bodies. *cough*  Um... well, you get the idea. I do love my jeans!!! :D LOL

For now, the Army has me heading south. I go there excited and enthusiastic because that's where my man is. It is about time for us to be together as a family again. :D Yippee!!

On that Day

What a weird feeling to finally get back on my blog and realize the last post was published on the day everything went haywire. I was in a car accident on June 27th. My car was totalled, but my children who were with me and I were fine--for the most part. An accident is an accident...nobody's ever FINE after an accident. Having your life flash before your eyes is no joke.

It didn't help that three days later I needed to get on the road so that I could see my husband for the first time since Easter.

But I'm as back as I can get right now, which isn't as back as I'd like it to be because life is still in a bit of upheaval. Another trip to Georgia in a few weeks will finally end this long period of separation from my husband and then sometime after that, we'll be moving south.

Phew! I'm excited and tired. I keep hearing that when my man returns home to BEWARE! He will sleep for a week straight! That might be true, but I won't notice. I'll be doing the same, I think. :D

It's a miracle I didn't shoot my television tonight

Or is it?

SPOILER ALERT re: ROBIN HOOD (2006) BBC with Jonas Armstrong
...if you don't want to know important bits don't read below the photograph...

I hope I made the picture big enough... Gee, I wouldn't want an unsuspecting fan to read what's coming next or miss out on a good-looking face either (not as handsome as my husband, but he'll do).

************

And that is that YOU CAN'T KILL MARIAN!
I thoroughly enjoyed the series through season one. I loved the filmography. One quality in particular was how they ended each episode with a black and white freeze frame.  It always struck me.  I loved the music, the introduction...


Which is why I was wary at the start of season two. Things changed...the look, the feel of the creation. For example, Marian's clothes became much more provacative. Not horrible, but definitely different than season one. The introduction changed, too--new music, new images. No freeze frame, either. How funny something so small and seemingly unimportant would stand out to me? But it did. I didn't like that they took that out. 


But, all in all, I continued to enjoy the story line. 


GREAT villain. Tortured heroes. Good vs. Evil, always a winner in my book.
And then, they killed Marian. 

Marian, in the scene where she finally starts to marry Robin. Yes, that's him behind her... They've been strung up in the desert to die. (oh, oops. SPOILER ALERT!) I wonder who did her brows back in those days?

So, though a small part of me wanted to shoot my television, perhaps it's not such a miracle that I didn't. 
I see a swift and sudden end to the series. One more season, two at the very most, but I haven't done my research, so I'm not sure how many seasons the series had before it ended. What a shame... 
They didn't just kill Marian.
They killed their success...
Poo. How disappointing.

What's up Wednesday

It's been a while since I talked about what I'm doing...
The bottom line is ALMOST NOTHING! Ugh.

I had a friend mention to me that my life was in limbo. I never thought that state of existence could be so prohibitive of writing. I'm at this point right now where my brain will not settle. I want information and action... NOW!  But I won't get it and in its stead, I'm stalking my Facebook newsfeed and, consequently, ignoring the things that will actually HELP. Like packing for our trip in July or making lists for the stuff I have to pack, the house work, the laundry... you get the idea. :D :D

I wish I could use this energy to finish edits on Spring Leave, which BTW, was requested by The Wild Rose Press for their sweetheart line. I...just have to get rid of some of the swearing. *blush* Well, come on!!! Swearing is one of my weaknesses. It's not a far stretch that my characters might do a bit of swearing during stressful times. Of course, if they like this and want it, then I would have to sweeten up a couple of other stories I've written that are part of the series: Dark Summer and Winter Craze.

That's the only thing I don't like [as a writer] about series. The necessity to maintain book type... OTOH, I love it [as a reader] because I like knowing what I'm getting.

So, that's what's up with me...
I'm slowly working through an edit/revision. I'm getting ready to visit my husband again. I'm looking to the future and "the big move" when we are finally stationed somewhere... CAN NOT WAIT! Maybe then, I'll feel a bit settled. For now, I just need someone to tell me how to focus my thoughts on writing.

CHOCOLATE? Please tell me chocolate helps!

Miracle Monday

On the lighter side, I woke up this morning, put on a nice white tank top, camisole-like shirt then proceeded to have a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce for breakfast.  I did not get any sauce on my shirt!! Whooot! A miracle!

On a more appreciative note...
In a very shallow, human weakness kind-of-way, this week I had a bit of a panic episode. It suddenly hit me that I was going to need something to wear to this ceremony for my husband. Okay, it wasn't exactly sudden, it was more like I saw a picture of another officer's wife who looked really nice...tailored blouse, accessories, belt... ugh. She looked really good.  But after an AWFUL month of May, spending money I probably could have waited to spend or just saved altogether, I did NOT want to spend anymore money. Yet I was afraid to even look through my wardrobe. Being an officer's wife is a bit of a new experience for me (one who usually finds something at Walmart that will only last one season). Though I know there are no written rules about what I should wear, I also know that I want to look nice. I want to be a worthy reflection of my husband's uniform, his duty and honor.

I thought about it for a few minutes. I ran to my very close friends and said, ACK! What am I going to do?! What did you wear? Why am I suddenly self-conscious about what I'm wearing? *pullinghairout*

That night a friend brought dinner over for the family, which was really nice, btw. And with her, she brought a bag of clothing with a few shirts and a nice pair of capris. Nice stuff, too. Perfect for this branching event that I have to go to in July. I was amazed. I thanked her! And then I just had to thank God. He really does care about me. He provides things for us even when we don't ask for them.

That's my miracle!
:D Have a great week.
Bethanne

Kids

Not that I want to beat a dead horse, but it takes a very special author to include a child and/or adolescent into an adult novel. I have such a hard time reading a romance that has kids in it. My current read is about an FBI special agent who has a daughter...and I'm stuck. I can't get past the daughter's adolescent-like, hard-headed, bratty behavior. And the SA's willingness to allow it.

I feel like saying, NO! This is supposed to be romance! Why do I have to listen to this girl whine and complain and do bad things (like spill food all over the person next to her in the airplane) only to have her mom offer to pay for the damages as if this was expected. Not that the mother didn't sigh. She did... But a thirteen year old, running off a plane in tears, saying "I told them I didn't want to eat!"

What? I still don't know what happened. Did they strap her down and force her to eat? Who is going to force a thirteen year old to eat or drink something on an airplane?  Did the girl fight back and knock the drink into her seatmate? Did they actually get the food into her mouth and she spewed it? The entire scenario just doesn't make any sense.  Puhlease.  I can't read books like this... Nope. Not gonna happen. :nono:

FWIW, I have read some very good books with children in them... Yes, I have!
But it only takes about one chapter of reading for me to know if I've got a good one or not.

What about you?
Kids, no kids?
What do you like in a story? What type of kid behavior kills a story for you and what type will keep you begging for more?

Promises to Myself and Saltine Crackers

So, I promised myself I would only spend a certain amount of money on food this pay period... and I pinky swore I wouldn't go back to the store before the 15th. :P  Don't worry, we aren't starving, we're just actually eating through all the food we have in the house!  I mean, why is it that food gets eaten, but there's always those items still in my cabinet from week to week? Why did I buy it in the first place if no one is going to eat it? Well, we're eating it this week! LOL

This morning when my son woke up and puked, I thought, "Oh crap. I don't have any saltines left."

So, after getting the bed cleaned up and setting him up in the living room on the towel throne, I made Saltine Crackers. They're a hit! It was an easy task and worth it!...for now. I do like the convenience of packaging from the store.

So, tell me. What's the most interesting thing you've done in order to save a few dollars?

Miracles--big and small

First, congratulations to Lola! Her name was drawn from the hat. A special package is being put together and sent on its way. Thanks to all my visitors who braved the comment form to share their story with me.

Do you believe in miracles? I do. Present day experiences with God. Signs that He is here on earth with us even though we can't see him. All my life, I've considered myself blessed and without need of any miracle. Even as a diabetic, I've always thought, "There are other people who need it more. At least my disease is manageable."

Well, this week, I was pretty desperate. My husband wanted me to bring the family down to see him, and I knew... finding lodging was going to be impossible. I'd already tried numerous times. We'd come to an agreement that it would be better if just I came down. No kids this time. A room for one person, no problem. Room for a seven-member family? NOT HAPPENING!

But I received a call from him two nights ago. He loves me, but he HAS to see the kids. Four months without seeing them wasn't going to work for him. :D Well, "Okay," I said. And I went to bed praying. Praying, praying, praying... please let something open up. The next morning I woke up and prayed again. Then, I called the campground.

When I was put on hold... my heart started pounding a little harder because until that moment, I'd only had the lady say, "I'm sorry we're booked that week." As a matter of fact, I hardly had to have the question out of my mouth and they'd be saying, NO. The lady came back on the line, "I have a medium cabin from the 8th to the 11th."

"I'LL TAKE IT!"

A miracle. I'm telling you right now...
I don't care what anyone else says. I'd been trying since mid-April to get a reservation for this place on that week. This was my miracle. I was totally claiming it. :D Now my husband, who has worked his ass off for weeks and weeks without being able to see his family has a place to be when we come to town. A place where we can relax, cook our own meals, watch tv, go swimming and not feel the stress of living out of a suitcase and eating out like we would if we had to be in a hotel.

Thank God.

Such an Idiot!

I feel like I've been such an idiot!
I should do a blog post about how NOT to run a promotion. :P
1. Draw when you say you're going to draw.
2. Announce winners when you say you're going to announce winners.
3. BE RELIABLE...

BE RELIABLE!

Grrrr.
it's too frickin' late now! [I mean late at night] Not too late to draw!
Tomorrow as I bite my nails waiting to hear from my husband, I'll draw a winner.
Thanks for your patience.
With Love,
Bethanne

Love and Friendship

With my daughter in sixth grade this year, talk of boys and who's dating whom has come up on occasion. I know she has a very good friendship with a guy in her class... and I wondered [ridiculously] about what it was going to be like when dating became part of the process. Would she want to date him? Or would he be 'a friend'.

My husband and I met in college. I first met him when he was dating someone else and I thought, "Oh, too bad." But the next semester, tada!, he was single again. :D Lucky me. He was a manager at the student union and I took a job at the switchboard that year. We worked together for a couple of months and finally, he asked me out on a date. A double date with a buddy. We went to Drovers, this great place for wings, in his piece of crap Chevette. For the next year, it was romance--dates, skipping class[ONCE! and believe me, it was highly unusual for him. I think he might have even gone to confession for the offense. :D], flowers[which his buddy told me I shouldn't get used to--thanks Michael, but I still get flowers about once a year when the rose bush and the peonies bloom]... We had a few ups and downs. What couple doesn't? Then he asked me to marry him. When he tells me he loves me today, it's with words and feeling he couldn't have understood back then. And still, we made it all these years.

Contemplating the stories I write, I found a tendency to write of romance that started as friendship. But, my husband and I definitely started with romance and became best friends. How STRANGE! As if I'm wishing for something else! I'm not. I love the whirlwind romance my husband and I had over the year we dated. In the long run though, it's the friendship that I value more. I suppose this is why I write of women who fall in love with friends--for the most part.

WOW, spoiler alert!!!  Hey, the stories aren't ALL like that!  I swear it! You'll see... as soon as I'm published. :D

So tell me about you. I know you want to talk about your love story. And I really want to hear it!
I'm giving a prize to a random commenter who comes in and tells me a love story...
A box of goodies. Yes, that's the same as saying I don't really know what's going to be the box!
You know me though. It will probably include a book, some chocolate... and whatever tickles my fancy when I'm shopping that day. :D

Winner will be picked next Saturday, so feel free to send your friends by throughout the week. Leave a name, link and/or email so I can contact you if you do win. Of course, if I know you and you know I know you, you know I don't need to know your contact information.
Enjoy the weekend, Friends!
With Love,
Bethanne