The Miscellany-est of Mondays

My thoughts are so scattered today – so its the perfect moment for Miscellany Monday!

 .in laws.

My in laws get here tomorrow! Woot! I can’t even tell you how excited I am to see them!

So glad that I let my hair grow out and decided to stop saving money by cutting it myself!!

.vitamin D.

I found liquid gel vitamin D on sale yesterday. Let’s hope it will continue to help me digest food properply.

How is it possible that my Vitamin D issues crop up when I move to the desert?!

.revenge.

I am hooked on this show! It’s super mysterious and I loved the lead actress in Brothers & Sisters, so it’s a no-brainer.

So much suspense and intrigue!

.st louis.

Did you hear that I was in St Louis over the weekend? Yup. I was celebrating my sister playing in the NCAA Elite 8 for Volleyball. It was such a blessing to be there with her!

This girl is such a stud!

.timer.

I melted our kitchen timer last week – it was all black and gooey. So I’m on the search for a new one…trouble is I’ve got an idea in my head for a replacement that doesn’t exist!

.gf thanksgiving.

I was going to do a funky Thanksgiving meal this year until I was diagnosed with Celiac. Now I’m doing a traditional meal gluten free, just to prove to myself I can do it!! GF corn bread is in Brenda right now and I’m going to try making pie crust tonight as well (if I can convince myself to get out of this chair)

My favorite mushroom casserole will be a little different with GF bread crumbs - let's hope it's just as tasty!!

.bloggy parties.

Okay, I’ll admit I used to think all these parties and linkys were so silly, but now I’m addicted. My favorites are Miscellany Monday and Friday Favorites. :)

.left overs.

It’s a good thing I love leftovers, because we’re cooking up enough food for 10 and there will only be four of us (although, it’s an open invitation if anybody’s interested!)

Last year's 12 pounder gave us months of frozen turkey goodness. Who knows how long this year's 14lb bird will last?! PS Why did I get a pre-seasoned bird last year? Not so good...we went with a naked one this year!

.entertainment tonight.

Yup, I’ll admit we watch those silly entertainment news shows more often than I’d like to admit. However, they entertain Keith and are the only thing on when we get home from work. Plus, we only have little bunny ears, so we’re stuck with the 4 english channels that come through the air!!

I know way more about Hollywood than I'd ever care to, but at least we have a good time making fun of silly people!!

Well, there are my super random thoughts! Check out other people’s randomness too!

“Meet Me In St Louis?”

That’s how my Dad informed me on Sunday that my sister’s volleyball team was headed to the NCAA quarterfinal tournament.

After lots of uncertainty, I can say for now that I’m going! Can’t wait to see this stud rock the Elite 8!!

Don’t worry, Clara and the zoom lens are coming, so I’ll have lots of great pictures!

Miscellany Monday 8/22

Wow, this Monday flew by. It’s already 9:30 and I haven’t spent much time thinking about blogs, etsy, or anything else technology related. Not too much on my mind right now, but here’s what I’m thinking about.

un. Gordon Ramsay

I LOVE Kitchen Nightmares! My obsession is growing for several reasons: 1) I love being in the kitchen, so it’s fun to get some inspiration from Ramsay’s menu ideas; 2) I lived in England for awhile, so the dry, straightforward humor and attitudes makes me feel at home; and 3) I miss the Mother Land.

Nothing like a Scottish chef with high standards!

image from amazon.com

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deux. Baby Photography

I’m doing a newborn shoot tomorrow, so I’m excited/nervous about that. Hoping to get some sweet shots!

How sweet is this little face?!

 image from Pinterest

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trois. Yummys

I made a meal for some friends tonight. I couldn’t resist sharing Spinach Artichoke Lasagna and also made them some scones, clotted cream, and fruit topping. I made sure to have extras for me and Keith :)

Yummmm.

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 quatre. School…

Yup, it’s that time of summer. Tomorrow’s my last day off before my contract starts again on Wednesday. I think I’m finally ready for school.

Go Miners!

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cinq. Dancing Willow Sale Almost Over!

Honestly, I thought I’d get more customers on the Etsy shop with the 50% Birthday discount. That’s been really frustrating. I’ve been getting a lot of attention on Etsy, but no bites yet.

Please tell all your friends about my shop and the 50% Discount! Just use BIRTHDAY50 at checkout on anything in the store.

Did I mention there's a 50% discount in my shop all month long?!

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six. Life Sense

My friend Ana has a blog called Life Sense and I really enjoyed her post today. I don’t usually share other people’s blogs or posts, but this one hit my heart. She was open and honest about her struggles with contentment. That’s been a huge struggle for me this past year, especially learning how to be content living in the desert.

I'd rather be here, but for now I'll choose a good attitude right where I am.

And now I’m off to bed before rising early to get back to exercising!

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It’s a party! Linked to:

Why I Still Live Out Of Four Bags

Every once and awhile I think about changing the name of the blog. After all, we’re actually settled (for once) and will even be celebrating the longest we’ve lived in one place (14 months) in August!

No more four bag living for me…

Until I realize that I’ll always be living out of four bags. If I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s been to always live with the “Four Bags Attitude”. I should always be ready to get up, go, and follow God’s calling.

Every time I think of listening and responding to God’s plan for my life, I always think of Abraham (back in the day when he was still Abram in Genesis 12):

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you…So Abram went, as the LORD had told him

So Abram went. He didn’t ask all his friends what he should do before making a decision or even argue with God about the merits of going; he just went. I have always admired him for that.

That’s why I still have the attitude of living out of four bags…I want to be ready to try new things, meet new people, see new places, and follow God’s plan regardless of whether its convenient or jives with my own compulsive planning.

What’s That Stench In The Kitchen?!

For the last few days, I have not been able to figure out what the horrible smell in our kitchen was.

That was, until tonight when Keith was cleaning up from dinner and suddenly said, “Hmm…these onions are growing things…whoa, I need your help here!”

As I rounded the corner, I saw the source of the stench. A couple weeks ago, Keith returned from New England to find the air conditioning broken after several 118 degree days. Apparently, this resulted in rotting potatoes.

Not just rotting potatoes, but maggots in rotting potatoes.

Insert extremely sensitive gag reflex.

I have zero tolerance for smells and gross things. It will be a miracle if I survive caring for sick children.

Keith was the hero of the evening – I reminded him several times how grateful I am that he was doing the cleaning since I would have been sick several times. Without missing a beat, the good doctor responded:

“I don’t mind – bacterial vaginosis smells way worse.”

Nothing stays serious in our house for very long.

I’ve Been Busy

Nothing like a cross-country trip to see family right after the end of school to give you a reason to ignore all social media :)

Even better is the excuse of my favorite sister graduating from high school (yea, she’s my only sister, but she’s still my favorite!). It was a gorgeous night and such a wonderful reason to celebrate!

The evening started with a portrait session

Nothing like a long procession of marroon regalia to get you in the graduation mood!

Hat's off! (wishing I'd had my flash on!)

She did it!

Proud parents, sister, and Grandma!

So glad I was able to be here!!!

Anywho – don’t expect to hear much from me any time soon; I am enjoying time off and don’t plan on spending much time keeping up on things!!

That’s “Mr, Dr, Capt McCoy, D.O. Sir” To You!

It’s been a long and crazy weekend, but hubby is officially a Captain in the Air Force and a Doctor!

Col Towle

Maj Gen Volpe

Bruce Lee

The gentlemen above officiated the event; we are especially thankful for Bruce Lee’s participation since he watched Keith grow up and served in the Navy as a Master Chief.

I had the honor of pinning the new Captain bars on:

Not as easy as it looks!

Then he took his oath (and I cried for the dozen-th time!):

This oath has been used since 1789!

Receiving his commission.

The officers of the UNECOM class of 2010:

Army, Navy, and Air Force

He looks so sharp in his blues!

I never thought I’d be a military wife, but I can’t say I’m not excited! Here’s to the adventures to come…

Homeless for Four Days

A friend of mine’s family runs New York City Relief, a non-profit organization that provides for the direct needs of homeless people in New York City. Via the Relief Bus, they deliver food and clothing as well as seek out and provide people with opportunities for rehab and jobs.

This morning I received an email from my friend that Barry Rodriguez of World Next Door, a social justice blog, is volunteering for NYC Relief this month. For the next few days, he will be living homeless in order to get a glimpse into the lives of homeless New Yorkers. For more information about Barry’s plan, check out the blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.

Curious to see what happens and what he learns through this experience – know what it’s like not to have a home, but I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be homeless.

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[Read more at My Life In Four Bags]