My version of Heaven on Earth.....**

Howdy Doody BababaBLOG!

Karmella says: Its Sunny and Warm enough to lay outside in the sun for hours, pant, and bark at the neighbors as they pass by....Oh yeah and 1 U.S. Dollar equals .70 Euro. :(

Look! My cherry tree has bloomed!

Spring has sprung in my back yard: And here is what I see......

My apple tree (pictured above) is trying!

My Radishes are growing!

Note to self: Salad needs to be watered FREQUENTLY

 

My Fishes........

 

Daisies......one of my FAV's......

 

Daffodils- another Favorite.......

 

I have never seen the bush pictured above until I got to NEVER NEVER LAND......I AM SO HAPPY I HAVE ONE IN MY YARD because I LOVE IT!

(Above: One of my many Rose Bushes- isn't it beautiful?)

 

My seedlings are coming along quite well, I started some more today so that I have a head start come planting season at the end of May.

 

Today....before I went and worked in the Garden, I was feeling torn between two different paths in life......and when I left it......I had the answer.....

When I am in my Garden, I feel like I am in the movie 'What Dreams May Come'....you know the part where you create your own version of Heaven.  I have no worries, no stress, and I feel so at peace.....


In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.  ~Abram L. Urban

Over & Out


Just another beautiful day in the life of an unlikely military wife....**

The DADDY wears a FANNY PACK to his WEDDING.....**

Hey You.....How YOU doin'?

Atmospheric Conditions brought to you by Karmella:  SUNNY! 

I have been experiencing this crazy, absurd, far-out wave of change in my life lately and all the emotions that come with it.  

My Baby Sister: Her name is Kaybear.  

Our past has been for from perfect, in fact, it has been downright rocky and pretty damn horrible.  I have mentioned in my blogs certain emotions I was having and certain issues I was dealing with in my life, that of course pertained to her, but I have never specifically said it was HER.  


I found out in September when I made a visit home that she was pregnant.  At the time of the announcement I could not have been more angry, frustrated, and disappointed with her as a person, so it wasn't the most happy news-.....for me.


Everybody in the family thought that it was a boy, but they determined it to be a girl.  For some reason this is what made me really excited about her having a baby.  I became VERY happy about her having a girl, because a girl really can do ANYTHING she wants, and boys....just can't. I AM THE PROOF!  


Recently, as a result of some changes KayBear is taking to improve herself, and her life, she has reached out to me.  We have spent hours on the phone, skyping, and writing on facebook.  She even sent me a card in the mail the other day.....


Obviously some of the subjects we have discussed have been hard and sad....which has made me a little sad and for lack of a better word reminiscent and reflective....

Every time things improve with KayBear, I always hold my breath, because.......I can't quite seem to make that leap of faith that things really are looking up with her.....but.....I can say.....this time it feels REAL.......


I am very sad that I won't be there this weekend for her shower, but I have of course sent fabulous gifts her way.  I am also very sad that I won't be there to see Rylee come into this world. 


My biggest wish for Rylee is that KayBear keeps improving herself and she becomes the most wicked cool ROLE MODEL that any little girl has ever seen!


The Daddy.


My parents split when we were young.  Mommy Re-married and had my little bro Carson.  

Daddy has been in a few serious relationships but has been single for a long time.  When he started working in Indonesia he met a woman named Lena, last year they got engaged and last week he finally married her in Thailand! 


I am so happy to see him so happy! Although....it is very strange to see a wedding band on his hand now....(is this how he felt the day he walked me down the aisle?)  And one other small detail that is absolutely necessary for this blog.  My DADDY is a ROCKSTAR, he is the ONLY (NON HIPPY) man I know that pimped a FANNY PACK on his wedding day. AWESOME DADDY- SO FRESH AND SO CLEAN!

And finally......moving and friends.  Moving around the world and making new friends sounds exciting and it sometimes can be, but mostly its just hard.  I miss the friends I left behind and I often struggle to find people that I can really CONNECT with in new places.  


I am not exactly sure what it is either......but I am going to try my best to pinpoint it.....


Sometimes the military lifestyle can have its special breed of drama.  There is all these complications of Rank, Pay, Position, not to mention the long absences and of course infidelity that runs rampant (unfortunately) in this community.  


Also.....everybody is at different stages, some people are still in school, some have careers, some people are older, younger, wiser, naive, some have kids, some don't, some are adventurous, some aren't, some like it and some don't.  While diversity is good, I find it hard to find a friend that is on the same track I'm on.....Does this sound selfish? Or close-minded?


And last but not least......sometimes its hard to trust, in a lifestyle where rank and pay coincide, where your personality, or your Spouse's personality can determine the career path, people are cheating and lying, marriages are flourishing or falling apart, and your never really sure who likes you and who doesn't.....trust becomes difficult.

Throw in a little more complication, with certain alliances that come with friendships, Females in the Army being present in the field and on deployments, GERMAN BEER and GERMAN SCHNAPPS and the fact that ILLESHIEM is INCREDIBLY small, you literally CANNOT go anywhere without seeing somebody you know, its worse then Anchorage AND Fort Rucker! 


My 'Be Friends with Everybody' Policy is becoming more difficult then I previously thought. And....these are the people you ABSOLUTELY DEPEND on during deployment, absences to the field, loss, loneliness, etc. 


Heavy Sigh.....maybe I am taking everything too seriously, or perhaps I am glorifying my previous friendships??? Either way.....I am longing for a CONNECTION to somebody....


New Addition to the BLOG: I have decided to add a "Guilty Pleasure" section.  It will include all the sinful, imperfect behavior that I participate in, if for no other reason to make me more aware of my bad behavior and hopefully humble me as well....

Guilty Pleasure 

About a week ago I bought a tub of Cool Whip Light.  I wish I could say it was intended for the use of a dessert, or special recipe, but it wasn't.  Its been in my fridge waiting.....for a pathetic, lonely night,  when LEGS is absent.  (that would be last night)

One bizarre guilty pleasure of mine is to.....consume light cool whip off a spoon.  Its low in calories, it feels you up fast, and it has that wonderful sensation of Gluttony when you have the tub in your lap.

Guilty as charged! 


Random Thoughts:


I ran 5 miles in 50 minutes, I realize this is slow to my previous standards, but I was pretty smug with myself.......


I feel very very lonely.....

I gave Karmella a rawhide today......wooooweee! She has the stinkiest farts.....I guess what goes around comes around.....

Don't you hate it when you have a bad feeling about somebody, but you can't figure out why? And your suspicions seem irrational?

I was weighing 154 lbs! on my birthday, March 1st.  Last week I got on the scale and was down to 146, but after eating like a fat kid all weekend long, I was back up to 150 lbs.  All week long, with the exception of the cool whip, I have been very disciplined with my diet and exercise.....it just baffles me how easy it is to put weight on and how hard it is to take it off.........SEESH.....


Also having to do with body image......


Is it just me? Here I am trying to compare myself to my counterparts- you know girls my age, and my lifestyle- am I fatter or skinnier then they are- because I am trying to gauge how crazy I am about my body-

and EVERY SINGLE TIME, I don't measure up.....

well its because most of them have plastic surgery! When,.....when, did it become so normal for young (28 ish is still young right?) girls to have plastic surgery? And don't they know what they are doing to my psyche !?! They are just perpetuating all the crazy neurosis I and other women have about their bodies!


I have been really bad about reading.....you see.....I don't have a reading light yet in my room......so if I want to read....I have to keep the over head light on when LEGS is trying to sleep.....and then slowly but surely....I feel bad....so I stop reading....it has taken me many many months to get a little over half way through the book I am reading....and I am disappointed about it....all because....you see....I don't have a reading light......


Over & Out....


Just another day... a day in the life...of an unlikely....military wife....**

A Super Hero's Birthday.....**

Whattttttttup! B-L-O-G!

Weather here in NEVER NEVER LAND brought to you by TANK GIRL and her little dog KARMELLA: Cool and Overcast. For one American Dollar to buy 1 Euro it costs $1.44. 

 

April 13th is a special day in my life.  31 years ago, God created a real life Super Hero.  This Super Hero went by the name of Chris, but now Cameo's in my life as LEGS.  Being a Super Hero takes a lifetime of training.....so growing up LEGS put himself through his very own creation of 'Super Hero School,' he pretended to be a GI Joe, he wore a special cape, and told stories about helicopters.

When he became an adult, or rather a very old BOY, he decided to become a Marine, but not just any Marine, a Reconnaissance Marine.  Recon Marines can jump out of airplanes, survive in the wilderness, and have Navy Seal training in the water, they are essentially a 'Jack of all Trades.'  

Then LEGS met his Lois Lane.....ARMS.  LEGS saved ARMS' life and just like in the comic books they fell madly and deeply in love. 

After several trips to WAR, LEGS married ARMS in a fairytale wedding.  (Those damn Super Hero's can be so charming, attractive and Studly!) 

But this particular GAL, could not handle never having her HERO at home.  So instead, he chose to be her very own PERSONAL SUPER HERO and set his SUPER HERO Career aside.

About 2 years later LEGS could not quiet his desires any longer, he was born a Super Hero and could not deny his destiny another minute of his life!

As with all marriages......LEGS and ARMS made a compromise, ARMS requested 'Not the Marines, and Not on the ground with a gun anymore.' A girl has her reasons.....

So LEGS decided the ARMY and in the SKY WITH A GUN!- Lots of Guns....

And so it began.....ARMS and LEGS' Adventure of traveling the world and being real life Super Hero's.

Here's me wishing MY VERY OWN SUPER HERO, (whom is on loan to the United States of America) a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Here are some pictures of LEGS' Birthday Celebration: LEGS and quite a few of his fellow comrades plus wives, went to a DIVINE Greek Restaurant in downtown Bad Windsheim to celebrate his heroic life thus far.

 

 

And we won't forget the cocktails:

 

April 13th, is also a day in which another Super Hero, who goes by the name of LEX was born, just one year prior to LEGS.  LEX was taken from us too soon, but now he saves those who knew him every single day, by reminding us to make our lives (much like his own) SOMETHING WORTH WATCHING!  A very special Happy Birthday from ARMS to LEX all the way to heaven from NEVER NEVER LAND!

 Love on ya LEX, Sparkles**

My Garden is coming along pretty well, but MAN IS IT A LOT OF WORK.  Especially when you are really starting from scratch.  

Here is a picture of me SAVING the raspberry bushes from snails and other detrimental forces.

I have two big Chive Plants and 16 Strawberry plants out in the garden.

In the Green house: My Salad plants are getting huge, but I may have lost two....they are a little wilty, so I am giving them some extra TLC to try and save them.  My radishes are growing really fast!

My Cherry Tree's have started to bud and have almost blossomed within' this past week. Crossing my fingers it doesn't freeze so the cherries actually come! My plum and apple trees are coming along a little slower.

My tulips and daffodils have sprung up, but haven't opened.  I spent most of the afternoon yesterday weeding so that the nutrients, water and sunlight would get to them and encourage them to open.

Most of my seedlings have germinated and grown several inches, I have had a few duds, and I plan on starting more this weekend, so that I have lots and lots of flowers in the yard come summer time!

Its been pretty cold and the weather hasn't been very good, so I am hoping that will change over the weekend so I can accomplish more.

Knitting Projects Completed:

Isn't this ADORABLE?

Karmella was helping me knit and she ended up with a piece of yarn on her nose, it was there for a good half hour before she even realized it! .*D

This is my second baby blanket for The Bowerfinds, they are friends from AK that had a baby boy named Jaxson in January.  I picked out the colors before I knew the Gender of the baby, and then I added on the blue when it was confirmed he was a BOY! It took me about 3 months to knit, and I felt a little anti-climatic when I finished it....but looking at the pictures of it now, I am happy with the way it turned out.

 Random Thoughts and Stories:

I had to take Karmella to the VET the other day because she has been experiencing pain in her hip(s).  Nothing is easy in Europe.  I got lost and although its illegal to talk on your cell I had to call LEGS to figure out where I went wrong.  

He proceeded to behave like an OFFICER and in not so many words imply that I am ignorant.  I told him this is not the time to be a 4 star General, this is the time to be a dishwasher in the galley.  SEESH!

I was in the VETS office with the dog, and they told me it was one of three things, she broke something, she has started to experience hip dysplasia AKA Arthritis as a result of her age, or she sprained them pretty bad.  Tears welled up in my eyes. They needed to take X-rays of the dog which would take about 10 minutes.

As I sat in the room I started to think, if I can't keep it together in the VETS office for a dog how in the hell am I going to keep it together if I have a child? I started to really get upset.  Karmella is my little companion and I need her more than ever NOW......6 years isn't THAT old for a dog right?

THANK YOU LORD JESUS.....she just sprained them really bad and needs to be on doggie aspirin for two weeks.  Since the visit I have payed extra special attention to her, and my sense of appreciation for her has been renewed.

Karmella in recovery:

I have been missing some of my friends in AK and Alabama.  Its hard starting over all the time, and making new friends.  I miss the 'special connection' that I felt with the friends I have made along the way, I am hoping I will find some more people that I connect with here in NEVER NEVER LAND very soon!

The night of LEGS' birthday celebration we were out until 3am.  By midnight all I wanted to do was GO HOME.....but I think LEGS felt if he turned in TOO EARLY he would be OFFICIALLY OLD.....

LEGS' parents got him really really expensive and nice quality car care products for his birthday.  They always get us the best presents, although I now fear that LEGS will be too busy fondling his car instead of me. ( I never knew I married a man that would be this obsessed with a vehicle).

Over and Out

Just another day in the life of an unlikely military wife....**