Be like Water

In the current economic climate, one out of five families are opting for relocation. "Going where the jobs are".
Taking this leap of faith is a huge decision, hoping it will result in a good fit for Job, Schools and
Lifestyle. Relocation can be stressful for children who might have concerns about leaving friends or
fitting in. A best practice is to keep them in the loop and make the whole process a fun adventure.
As the wife of a veteran, I know that military families face this every two to four years. They not only
deal with the challenge of ajusting to new environments but also the re-integration to the mobilized solder into the family unit, after long absences. During which time, keeping the home life running normaly usually falls upon the spouse. While there's usually a period of difficulty and adjustment for all re-located families,there are also advantages; new experiences, new friends to be made, new places to discover and many times an improvement in the quality of life. Being flexible and open to new experiences is the key.
For my family it’s been mostly a positive experience, but at times I reminisce about favorite aspects
about the places i've lived.
-Jamaicas Tropical Sunsets, the music and foods.
-Times square and The New York Skyline at night.
-The Long Beach boardwalk, taking a stroll or bike ride with my guys.
-The Freeport Nautical Mile with it’s fresh fish markets and dockside cafe’s.
-Most of all I miss....the wonderful friends and family still in those places.
 They send me care packages so I can have the best of all worlds. "Thanks Guys!"
　
"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash.
Be water, my friend." ― Bruce Lee

Discovering Times Square

Spring Fever

Rose Garden

Spring came early this year and I couldn’t wait to get to the nursery.

Armed with a cart full of herbs, assorted annuals and bags upon bags of soil, I was ready to tackle the unforgiving clay that we call soil in North Texas. Enlisting the help of my guys, I was ready to plant. Ian (8) was on weed duty and wanted to know when he was being paid, after 15 minutes he’d had enough and wanted to go to the park. His Dad grabbed a shovel and helped him finish the job. I temporarily convinced my elder son Joe to do some digging in order to relocate the mini roses and save them from certain death by rapidly spreading bamboo. Somehow they didn’t seem to think that gardening was nearly as much fun as I did and disappeared one by one leaving behind, Sonic our dog. He was busy sniffing out his friend, the toad which makes an annual appearance in the garden. At least the quest for the elusive toad, kept him out of the veggie beds long enough for me to put up some rabbit fencing. 

Still a lot of work to do, but the garden is off to a great start. 

The sun’s setting, my husband has the food prepped and is ready to get the grill going. Had I known that grilling was the way to get a man cooking, we’d have build the outdoor grill island a long time ago.

IRIS

Time Factor

There’s been a lot of things that I’ve been meaning to do for the past 15 years but never had the time. As a working mom with two sons, a husband and a cockapoo, things tend to get hectic. Each day is a juggling act between work, home, after school activities and homework, a balance of fun and the mundane. My offspring consists of a 21 year old “Joe” who’s slowly making his way thru college and an eight year old ‘teenager’ Ian in elementary school. There’s a wide age gap, but video games tend to even out the playing field, my husband included, as he also attempts to save the world one strategic war game at a time. 

The garage is filled with unpainted canvases, flowerpots waiting to be filled and fabric

about to be sewn into the most amazing chair covers I saw in a model home. My dream to visit distant lands such as: Thailand, Morocco and Australia remains just that...a dream.

Last summer I went to a childhood friends 50th birthday party & it hit me, that I’m suddenly fortyish (when did that happen?) and I still haven’t done half the things that i’ve planned on doing. When did my “To Do” list become my Bucket List?

First Project on the list: Cover Chairs to give dining room a face lift
If you have Kid's under 12, Washable slip covers are a necessity. 

Love these chair slip Covers

located at Grand Homes Showhouse in Frisco, TX

Easiest pattern to make a slipcover:http://www.tealandlime.com/2011/08/diy-dining-chair-slipcovers-from-a-tablecoth/

DIY Dining Chair Slipcovers from a Tablecloth by JACKIE