He left long before the sun came up.  And didn’t get home until it had gone down.

“Work” wasn’t a place back then.  It was a lifestyle.

A lifestyle that required not a brief case, but a gun.

I can’t say for sure–because he’s spared me the details thank heavens–but I think he may have had to use it once or twice.  In a desert on the other side of the world.

Our first Christmas together wasn’t actually our first Christmas together.

Because I was at home, here in one desert, while he was in another one entirely.

While he was away I had the most horrible, realistic dreams.  And they were always the same.  I wasn’t plagued by bloody scenes of a world I’d never laid eyes on.  It wasn’t roadside bombs or grenades or blown up convoys that interrupted my sleep.  Probably because I had no concept of those things.  The images that deluged my unconscious were of that which I knew.  Or knew of at least.

More than once I was startled awake and physically got up to go to the front door because I was 100% convinced I’d heard the doorbell.

More than once I cried on the floor of my living room in the middle of the night.  Mostly because I was relieved that the doorbell I’d so clearly heard had been nothing more than a cruel trick of my dreams.

Oh I hated those months.

That lifestyle.

And I lived it for just an itty bitty fraction of time.

Nothing in comparison to so many others.

Others who lived it for many years before we did.  Who are living it still.

Others who still go to work with a flag on their shoulder and a their last name embroidered on their chest pocket.

Others who say goodbye to their baby sons and daughters and husbands and wives for far longer than anybody should ever have to.

Others who do it graciously.  Dutifully.  Proudly even.

They serve us all.

They serve for different reasons.

They serve in different ways.  {Including some who don’t wear a uniform at all but wear instead the many hats of a spouse who is left at home}.

I’m remembering those people today.

Praying for them.

Honoring their sacrifices.

Thanking them for standing for us.

Whether it’s here.  Or thousands of miles from here.

Thank you.

*I stole borrowed the title of this post from Toby Keith’s American Soldier song.  So sue me.*

Days when I’m exhausted from dealing with the same issue.  Again.

Days when I wish I could telepathically communicate that which I’ve learned, from mistakes I’ve made.  So that she doesn’t have to repeat them.

Days when–more than anything else–I’d love to seal her up in a giant bubble.  For safe keeping.

Days when I ache to impart to her the knowledge that I am obstinate only because she is more cherished than the most antique family heirloom.  More important than any health care bill.  More precious than every diamond in every little blue box that ever was.  Ever.

But those things?  Those things don’t always come across.  She sees something far different.

She sees rules.  Hard and fast ones.  Arbitrary ones.

Breakable ones.

Only these ones aren’t.

At least not without consequence.

And believe you me that the consequences I’ve got on the table are so much less permanent than the ones I’m trying to protect her from.

You know how when you were young and you got daddy’s belt or grandma’s flyswatter, or mom’s wooden spoon and each time they said, “this hurts me more than it does you?”

I didn’t believe it then.

Because it hurt.

But they were right.

Because it hurts much more on the other side.

And I’m not talking wooden spoons here.

Yeah.  There are days when this mothering gig gets the best of me.

Days when I wish I could hand it all over.

Days when I wish I could admit that I’m doing my best, but I fear it isn’t good enough.

Days when I’d give anything in exchange for “the answer”.

Days when I wish there was someone who understood.

And then it occurs to me that someone does.

So I hit my knees.  And I let it all out.  And I ask, “to where shall I go?”

And then I wait.

And eventually, I feel better.  If only a little.

And then I remind myself that going to Him should have been my first response.  Not my last resort.

Maybe someday I’ll learn.

Maybe someday she will too.

Right this way then.  Here’s a little glimpse of what Autumn look like in the desert.

This last one isn’t really a fall decoration.  But I came across it and thought I’d show you the place cards we made for Thanksgiving last year.  Cute, no?

Yeah, so there you have it.  Our humble abode in all its Autumn glory.  I’m finding it pretty cozy myself.  So much so that if you’ll excuse me I’m going to slip into my pj’s and meet my husband on the couch for our weekly Amazing Race date.

If you’re looking for a bit more decor inspiration though, click on over to the Hooked on Houses fall tour.  That’s where my motivation came from.  Oh.  And be sure to invite me if you post your own decorations – I’d love to see them!

We went in search of pumpkins and gourds and leaves and berries.

And boy did we find some.  Did we ever.

Not the live stuff, of course.  Because autumn’s natural bounty is tough to come by here in the desert.

Joann and Michaels though?  Now that’s where I came up big.

Because in spite of the fact that the calendar says its still November, all the fall decor is on clearance.  Big time clearance.  We’re talking 70 – 80% here.  For real.

This–I believe–is one of the few reasons why starting to see Christmas trees pop up before the jack-o-lanterns even begin to rot is a good thing.  If they didn’t need to make room for garlands and holly and ornaments, then they’d hang on to their fall stuff a tad longer.  And then I wouldn’t have scored big like I did today.

So my house is a lot homier tonight, as I sit here in the glow of a pumpkin scented candle.

The windows are open.  We hit 80 today, but the evening is crisp.  I hear coyotes–not far away.  The moon was full just days ago, but tonight it hides amongst the stars.

This is my favorite of the seasons: Fall.  For her tastes and colors and textures.  She brings cool nights, perfect for stargazing from the jacuzzi.  And her menu.  The soups and casseroles and sweet cinnamon-y treats; they warm the soul you know.

I plan on giving you a tour of the seasonal touches I’ve added.

Warm up a glass of cider and meet me here tomorrow.

See you then.

It is, however, NaBloPoMo (or National Blog Posting Month for those of you who don’t speak blogese).  NaBloPoMo bills itself as the “epicenter for daily blogging”.  I’m told that there are bloggers out there who post every. single. day.  And for this month at least, I’m trying to join their rankings.

So far so good.  Of course, we’re only six days in.  But six days is six days.  And as of right now, I’m on track.  Can’t ask for more than that.

I’m taking an easy out tonight.  Because I’m tired.  And because I’ve been thinking of initiating a shout out feature for some time now, and just haven’t gotten around to doing it.  You know what they say though: nothing like NaBloPoMo for motivation.

What?  Don’t they say that where you come from?

Anyway.  Here are some of the pages/sites that I’ve been reading this week.

Enjoy.

Design Dazzle – This is a great {design} blog.  I’ve wasted away several hours this week drooling over their fun party themes, decorating inspiration, and fabulous themed kids’ rooms.

Amazon Bean Soup Recipe – I made this for dinner last week.  It’s a keeper.  I’ll probably give it a better name before I copy it into my cookbook though; “Amazon Bean Soup” makes it sound like it calls for Anaconda or something.

The Sounds We Hear – Lots of times Kristen’s posts make me wonder if she’s somehow picking my brain and writing down exactly what I am thinking.  This one is no different.  Only she said it much more beautifully than I could.

99 and 100 – My friend Becca hit a big bloggy milestone this week.  Won’t you click over and congratulate her?

Walmart Pre-order Movie Deal – You can score a sweet deal on hit movies like: Night at the Museum 2, Four Christmases, and My Sister’s Keeper.  Each one is under $10 and shipping is free!  Knock knock – Christmas is calling.

That’s it for now.  But stay tuned; NaBloPoMo has only just begun. :)

I never claimed my methods were subtle…

So not ready, am I.

On this particular morning he awoke too early.  I was still making lunches for his big sisters to take with them to school.

He saw the juice boxes on the counter, beside their Thermos’ and baggies of cherry tomatoes and goldfish crackers.

I knew I was done for.

“Is it time for nunch?” He wondered.  As soon as we’d dropped Kennedy at the bus stop.

No.  Not time yet.

The clock didn’t phase him though.

He marched to the closet, where he knew he’d find his backpack.  He returned, and found me exercising to Fit TV.

“Can I have the juice with the straw?  For nunch.  In my packpack.”

I paused the workout.  Not that I’m complaining; lunges have never been my strength.  I reached into the fridge and handed him the juice box.   Straight into his backpack it went.

Where it stayed for approximately twenty-seven seconds before he asked again.

“Now is it time for nunch?”

No. Not time yet.

“Oh-tay.”

So he picked up my light weights and did bicep curls alongside me.

And when we had finished he asked one more time.

“Now is it time for nunch?”

9:17.

You know what?

Absolutely.

Nunch time indeed.

*Oh yeah.  And it is my duty to inform you that should you decide to click on the provided Amazon affiliate links and purchase a subscription, I will earn a few odd cents off of your purchase.  You know.  In the interest of full disclosure and all.  Carry on.*

That Family has some other Works For Me Wednesday ideas – check them out!

]]> http://blog.suchthespot.com/2009/11/1-year-magazine-subscriptions-for-5-or-less/feed/ 7 http://blog.suchthespot.com/2009/11/1-year-magazine-subscriptions-for-5-or-less/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SuchTheSpot/~3/V25hjNhqhm8/ http://blog.suchthespot.com/2009/11/10-hostess-gifts-for-the-holidays/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:05:00 +0000 Darcie http://blog.suchthespot.com/?p=2295 Psst. Have you heard? It’s November.

You know what that means right?  It means that the holiday party invites are going to start rolling in any minute.  And if you’re anything like me, you probably wait until you’re headed out the door to figure out what the heck to bring along for the hostess.  It’s not like you can show up empty-handed after all.

But again, if you’re anything like me, you may find yourself hard-pressed to come up with anything more creative than a bouquet from the wannabee floral department at your go to supermarket.

Have no fear though; I’ve done the creative work for you, and put together a list of ten spruced up holiday hostess gifts that will knock their socks (or stockings as the case may be) off.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. Something festive.  Fill a decorative glass jar (or even a canning jar would work) with a homemade nut/berry mix and tie a big, beautiful ribbon around it.  Imagine how pretty it would look.  And the fact that the contents are totally shelve-able means that your host(ess) wouldn’t feel obligated to serve it at the party.

2. Something frivolous.  Head over to Cost Plus (World Market) or Pier 1 and pick up a set or two of cutsie cocktail stirrers.  I’m partial to the peppermint or reindeer ones, but there are plenty of options.  Next stop: the grocery (or liquor) store.  Choose a nice bottle of liquor (Chambord, Godiva, Bailey’s) to present with the stirrers.  Again, a big, beautiful bow would go a long way to add wow factor to a relatively simple gift.

3. Something sinful.  Think chocolate.  This time of year you can easily find decadent goodies on every end-cap of every specialty store.  There are peppermint barks, gourmet marshmallows, truffles, and toffees.  Things that beg to be savored fireside.

4. Something portable.  I like the idea of a nice quality travel mug presented with an assortment of holiday flavored teas.  They have such yummy sounding teas available this time of year (sugarplum dream or gingerbread for instance).  Arrange the mug alongside the teas in a basket with a candy cane and you’ve saved your hostess a trip to Starbucks!

5. Something personalized.  Pick up a pair of plain martini glasses (readily available) and a glass etching kit from your local craft supply store.  Let your creative juices flow.  Etching initials or snowflakes on the glasses would make them instantly unique.  Tie itty bitty ribbons around the stems and present them with some cute cocktail napkins (I LOVE the ones at Z Gallerie!).

6. Something practical.  If the hostess is throwing a big holiday shindig chances are she won’t feel up to making breakfast the following morning.  A dozen fresh bagels (or muffins or croissants) from a local bakery along with flavored cream cheese (or jams) would likely be much appreciated.

7. Something fragrant.  Personally, I’m a sucker for those scented pine cones that start popping up all around town about this time of year.  You can buy a mesh bagful of them at the grocery store (or Michaels or JoAnne) for under five bucks.  You pour those pine cones into a decorative basket and slap a metallic ribbon on them, and battabingbattaboom:  I guarantee you’ve got a great gift.

8.  Something traditional.  And what’s more traditional than wine? But you truly can put a spin on even the most traditional of hostess gifts.  Consider purchasing a wine that is produced in the recipient’s home state.  And present it with a decorative bottle stopper (like this or this).

9. Something homemade.  I’m sort of infamous for my homemade tortilla chips and guacamole.  But salsa is much more give-able than guacamole and lucky for me, my friend Becca passed along a fabulously simple and tasty salsa recipe.  So…if you invite me to a holiday party, you know what you’ll likely be gifted!

10. Something tailored to the occasion.  For a cocktail party, consider bringing along a set of cute appetizer plates and a bottle of flavored organic olive oil.  For a dessert reception, maybe champagne flutes and a box of chocolates.  For a cookie exchange, maybe a set of copper cookie cutters.  You see where I’m going with this right?

So…these are decent ideas right?  And easy enough that you could keep one or two on hand for last minute invites.

What about you?  What’s your best idea for a festive hostess gift idea?

And for other great Works for Me ideas, visit That Family.

]]> http://blog.suchthespot.com/2009/11/10-hostess-gifts-for-the-holidays/feed/ 13 http://blog.suchthespot.com/2009/11/10-hostess-gifts-for-the-holidays/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SuchTheSpot/~3/E8UMljYcVr8/ http://blog.suchthespot.com/2009/11/me-me-and-more-me/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:50:45 +0000 Darcie http://blog.suchthespot.com/?p=2277 Yeah.  So where were we?

Oh yeah.  You all were berating me for not including a photo in the skinny jeans post.

I had good reason.  You see, I’m not a fan of flash photography.  And by the time I realized what I was going to blog about, it was too late to take a photo of me wearing aforementioned skinny jeans.  But I wasn’t about to leave you wondering.  Promise.

See?

Here I am in all my skinny denim glory.  Pardon the photo.  This was the best I could get.

What’s that you say?  My hair?  Why yes.  I am a brunette now.  Thanks for noticing.

I’m going dark for the winter.  What do ya think?

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