My Resolutions and Accomplishments

Accomplishments:

This has been a fantastic week to pick up some steals.  The produce is popping at the local farms, and I've been able to pick up bushels of tomatoes for less than $10.  Several hours in the crock pot later, and I have some fantastic spaghetti sauce canned up, and I've canned some stewed tomatoes to use this winter in soups and stews. 

With the arrival of winter squash, I've been stocking up on my favorites.  Delicata, Acorn, Butternut, and Spaghetti Squash are all available in great quantities.  Stored properly, they will keep for months.  I've been picking up two or three squashes every time I hit up the farmer's market. 

The Swiss Chard has been looking beautiful at the farm down the street from us.  I stopped by their farm store on the way home from work today and picked up a bunch - a huge bunch- for $2.

If you have a freezer, or know how to can, now is the time to go pick up the best of the season's bounty to see you through the winter!

As you know, I have a troop of Girl Scouts who are in their last year of Girl Scouts.  I have been working on putting albums together for the girls of pictures that we have taken over the 12 years that the girls have been in Scouting.  This week, I got myself motivated to get back to work on these albums.  I've finished one album out of five.  The others are over half finished.  I am planning on having them all finished by the end of October.

Resolutions

1) 365 Grateful.
I have a gratitude journal.  I write in it weekly.  I list 5-10 things I am thankful for.
While this is not daily, it does keep me grounded, and it reminds me of the many good things I have in my life in the midst of all the crazy things that surround me.  I've started keeping the notes that people at work have been passing to me in here, too. 

2) Lose 10 pounds.
As of last month, I'd lost 20 pounds since January.  As of the last weigh in on the scale, I've lost 2 more pounds, for a total of 22 pounds.  Not too shabby!

3) Run
I believe my motto has become "Only if something is chasing me."  I am still walking.  We've got some pretty awesome hills around here.  I have two or three standard routes that I walk.  I'm now able to walk all of them without getting winded or wiped out.  I'm thinking it might be time to make those routes a little bit longer.

4) Get Out of Debt
Still working on this.  I don't think we'll be completely out of debt by the end of the year, but we are getting closer.  As of now, we are paying with cash every time we fill the Civic.  We are charging the gas for the van.  However, I am only driving the van to and from work.  As a result, I am only filling the tank in the van every other week.

5) Finish Cleaning Out the Basement
I've got a good half of the family room cleaned out.  I'm now sorting out donations.  Some goes to Goodwill, Some to the rummage sale at the church, and some will be donated to the library.

6) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
I've started piecing it.

7) Spend More Time With My Family
With the death of my son's friend, I've had a lot of unexpected time with my kids, and with my "extended" kids - you know, the friends that are as much my kids as my own.  They were home the weekend after Patrick died, and they were home last weekend for the Memorial Service.  A horrible reason for a get together, but I treasured that time even more, considering the reason that we were all together so unexpectedly.  As I said before, life is just so damn fragile.

8) Finish the Book I Keep Saying I'm Going to Write!
Well, the research is finished.  I need to finish the writing... goal is to have this done, soon.

9) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
Last month, we had to use the money we had set aside to repair the bathroom to fix the van.  So, we have started saving for this all over again.  I'm not certain that this will happen in 2014.

10) Get Back into my Music
Done and done.  Singing in the church choir, weekly.  Love practice and love singing.  Both husband and I are singing in the choir.  It's where we met, so it's a little nostalgic to be doing it again.

My son's friend, Patrick died this past week in an accidental fall.  He was 19.

This week has been an eye opener in the hurtful things people say.  Whenever I have talked to somebody who has lost a loved one, I usually take food to their house, give them a hug, and chat about whatever they feel like chatting about.  Look at pictures?  Sure.  Buy a water bottle to help fund an outreach program in memory of a child?  Yes.  Cry for an hour?  Yes.  Ask them out for lunch after the funeral is over and everyone has gone home?  Without hesitation.

But, these are the things people have said to me.  I am not the parent of this young man.  I am a friend of the family.  If people are saying this to me, I can't imagine what they are saying to the family.

1) At least he died doing what he loved.
WTF? 

2) The good news is, he didn't leave behind a wife or children.

3) I'm sure his funeral will be standing room only. 

4)  What do you think his body looked like when they found him?

5) So, you're a family friend.  Tell me, how are they doing?
Hmmm.... I'm not going to gossip, but if you are so damn curious about how they are doing, CALL THEM, GO VISIT THEM.

6) What do you think his parents are going to do with all that money they saved for his tuition?

7) He did what he came here to do, and now he's moved on.

8) There's a reason for everything.


The list goes on.  I have been appalled at what I am hearing from "people" who "just want to know more".  Hey, the family has released what they are comfortable with.  I'm certainly not saying anything I may have heard from anyone who may have been sitting at a table with me and crying.

I did see the father out yesterday.  He was running.  Running and crying.  It literally broke my heart.  I had to pull over so that I could cry, too. 


In case if you're wondering what to say to someone who has lost a child, here's a list, from Grief.com:  http://grief.com/10-best-worst-things-to-say-to-someone-in-grief/

1) I am sorry for your loss.
I'm not an immediate family member, but yes, I am still grieving.

2) I wish I had the right words.   Just know I care.
I've  heard that, and received a hug with this.  It helped.

3) I don't know how you feel, but I am here to help you in any way I can.
Don't just offer help, DO SOMETHING.  Take them out to lunch in a month.  Bring them food.
Show up with a rake and trash bags and rake up their yard for them in the fall...

4) You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

5) My favorite memory of ___ is:

6) I am always just a phone call away.
Hey- here's a thought - call that person on those significant days in the future: birthday, anniversary, death day...

7) Give a hug...and keep coming around again and again, and hugging them again and again.

First Day of Fall

How was your first day of fall?  Ours was absolutely beautiful!  Enjoyed getting outside to walk around and enjoy the crisp air of fall.

With the change of seasons comes the change of emergency kit in the back of the car.

The snack box has been refilled.  More nuts, some tuna salad kits, cereal, and new water bottles.

My back up pair of sneakers is still there, but now I've added the back up pair of snow boots.

Added a pair of sweat pants, 1 pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, socks, and gloves.

The bag of kitty litter went in.  (NOTE- NEVER use clumping kitty litter to help you gain traction to get out of ice or snow.  Not sayin' this is personal experience or anything, but the clumping litter MIGHT just soak up a whole bunch of water and get even slicker.)

The small jug of rock salt went in.

2 winter blankets.

1 collapsible shovel.

I checked the spare tire to make certain all the parts are there to change a tire.

Checked the jumper cables.

Changed the batteries in the flashlight.

Checked the headlights and tail lights on the cars.  Replaced one headlight on the van.

Replaced the windshield wipers.

Added more fluid to the windshield wiper fluid reservoir.

Tracked down the ice scrapers for each car, moved them to the cubby in the side of the driver's door.

You never know when a winter storm is going to strike, or if you might get stuck in bad weather for a longer time than you are prepared to handle.  (Remember the ice storm in Atlanta in April?)  I've always carried an emergency kit in the back of the car, and every six months, I update it to match the weather of the season. 

Even though the weather is nice and no storm is threatening, NOW is the time to make certain all of the necessary parts are in the car.

What are you doing to winterize your car?

Memorial Album

My son's friend Patrick died unexpectedly last week in an unfortunate accident.

Patrick was a member of the same robotics team as my son.  For four years, I was the business and public relations mentor for this team.

So, after word of Patrick's death spread, I began contacting other parents and the alumni of the team.  We were dedicated to the thought of putting together a Memorial Album for him, rehashing the years he spent on the robotics team.

So, over the past week, we have gone through the painful process of tracking down pictures from the four years he was on the team.

We met yesterday, and we assembled a quick album.  We chose one of those albums where you slide the pictures into the album- 5 pictures to a page.

We also had printed out excerpts from e-mails that he had sent out over the course of his Senior Year.

It's a beautiful album, that chronicles the short history of a life well lived, and over far too soon.

We are waiting for the final piece.  We have alumni coming in for the Memorial Service next weekend.  They are going to write funny stories and memories on cards, and we are going to stick those into the album.

The thing I've found over the course of doing this?  This album has been incredibly closing in bringing closure to those of us who are working on it.  The work of tracking down the pictures, meeting up with old friends we haven't seen since graduation, and the process of crying it out has helped to bring the entire sad adventure into focus for us, the adults.  The young people have all had a chance to track down their adults from their high school years.  We've tried to help them put things in perspective, but what we've found is that the kids are doing a better job of helping us cope with this than vice versa.

I am still saddened beyond all reason.  I realize that I've gone through 3 of the stages of grief.  I believe I'm currently going through anger... I'd rather not talk about it, but I believe I had made a pretty big ass of myself.  I'm going to have to apologize to a few people in a couple of weeks.

Life is short.  Hug your family, hug them tight.

Cast Iron Cookware

Have you ever cooked in a cast iron skillet?  If you have, did you notice the difference in the taste of the food cooked in a cast iron skillet?  I don't know why, but a properly seasoned cast iron skillet adds a touch of something magic to food.

Properly cared for, cast iron skillets last forever.

My husband and I invested in a cast iron griddle when we got married.  For over 20 years now, we have used it for pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  We've used it on campfires, the wood stove, and the electric stove.  A few years ago, my mother in law gave me her old, rusted, falling apart skillet that she used to run through the dishwasher on a regular basis.

Somehow, I never got around to seasoning the skillet.  I know how to season cast iron, and I know it takes time, I just chose not to do it.

And then.....

I went to a yard sale two weeks ago and found a cast iron skillet.  It was over 50 years old, well seasoned, and in perfect condition.  The asking price for said skillet?  50 cents.

I was flabbergasted.  You NEVER find cast iron, in perfect condition for 50 cents.

I asked the person running the sale if that was the right price, and she looked at me and said:
"Do you really want that thing?  It's heavy.  I use Calphalon pans.  Why anyone would want to use cast iron is beyond me.  You can have it for a quarter."

I was giddy!  I handed over the quarter, took my skillet, and hotfooted it out to the car before she changed her mine.

The first thing I made with the skillet was the roasted sweet potato recipe I shared yesterday.  I have cooked in it every day since then.

Over this past weekend, I dug out my mother in laws old, rusted skillet and spent the time seasoning it up.  While I might not use it on a regular basis, I do have a child graduating from college and moving into his own apartment next spring.  He might like to have a well seasoned cast iron skillet to take with him.

The skillet looks beautiful now.  We used it Tuesday night, when we made two batches of roasted sweet potatoes.

The oldest child might not get that skillet when he graduates after all...

 

 

How to season cast iron cookware:

Remove any rust with steel wool. 

Wash the cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush.

Rinse and dry completely.

Apply a very thin, even coating of melted solid vegetable shortening to the cookware inside and out.  Too much oil will result in a sticky finish.

Set the oven temperature to 350*-400*F.

Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven to prevent pooling.

Bake the cookware for at least an hour.  After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven.

Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.

Repeat as necessary.

(source: http://www.lodgemfg.com/useandcare/seasoned-cast-iron)

 

After using your skillet:

Hand wash- dry immediately.
Rub with a light coat of vegetable oil after every wash.
How much oil?  Enough to make it shine, but not sticky.

(source: http://www.lodgemfg.com/useandcare/seasoned-cast-iron)

Olive Oil and Salted Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Beets

I found this recipe on Epicuran Eva's website last week.

We've made it for dinner twice since then.

It's an amazingly easy dish, made with seasonal veggies.  It really highlights the wonders of the vegetables available at this time of year!

image: http://www.epicureaneva.com/olive-oil-and-salt-roasted-sweet-potatoes-beets/

I don't have her permission to repost her recipe, but I am going to link you to the recipe here:
http://www.epicureaneva.com/olive-oil-and-salt-roasted-sweet-potatoes-beets/

Trust me when I tell you that this is an easy, amazing, tasty dish, perfect for fall!  Even better, it roasts in the oven for an hour, which gives you a chance to make a main dish, clean up your mess, and get the dishwasher unloaded and reloaded all before dinner is served.

I know she lists the recipe as an appetizer, but with a vegetarian in our family, this is a main dish.  Daughter loved this so much the first time we made it that we made two skillets last night.  She ate almost all of one by herself, and husband and I split the other one, and served it with fish.

In Memory of Patrick

We received word last night that a young friend died last night at the age of 19.

The only information we can find now is "police are investigating".

Heartbroken at a young life that ended entirely too soon.

Hug those you love extra tight today and tell them how much you loved them.

Secretly Rich

I am, by nature, a frugal person. Having spent a good chunk of the last 20 years as a Stay at Home Mom, and then returning to the work force very part time, money has always been a precious commodity, and I hold on very tight to what we earn, and stretch it out just as far as I can. I've never thought of us as "rich". We live in a 1970's rancher, we have a decent size yard, we buy used cars and drive them into the ground, and we refuse to take on debt to send our kids through college.

Imagine my surprise when I ran across this article the other day online: 10 Habits of the Rich and Famous, published on the website of AARP: http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2014/frugal-spending-habits-of-the-rich-photo.html#slide1

Many of the points in here were fascinating, even more so because we already practice many of these habits in our own home.


 1) Drive a Safe, Practical Car.
OK, I'm not sure, but I think that our 2002 Honda Civic with 198,000 miles qualifies.  We have maintained our car according to the manufacturer's directions for the last 12 years. All told, we've spent less than $3,000 in maintenance on that car.  The biggest expense?  Replacing tires.

Up until last year, we also had a Honda Accord, which finally gave up at 200,000 miles.  We bought it used, with 50,000 miles on it for $10,000 in 2004.

We do have a mini-van.  We also bought it used, from my Father in Law. 

2) Don't Go Anywhere With Money in Your Pocket Looking for Something to Buy.

This one's easy to do when you don't have a lot of spare cash sitting around.

3) Keep Clipping Those Coupons
I don't buy many processed or prepared foods, which is unfortunately what most coupons are for.  I do use coupons for trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels, and shampoo though.

Wait, I grow some of our own food.  Where does this count?

4) Live on (WAY) Less Than You Earn.

We live on less than we earn.  Right now, we are using up any excess cash to put towards textbooks for the kids in college, and paying down the mortgage on the house.  Considering that our Honda has almost 200,000 miles on it, we've begun shifting some of that money over to an account to make a down payment on a new to us car.

5) Dress Fashionably Frugal

We shop at Goodwill.  After we hit up Goodwill and the yard sales, we will fill in what we need on sale at other stores.  I have been known to sew clothes, but having had boys, there's not a lot that I could ever have sewn for them that they would have worn!  I do knit them a dress sweater or vest every couple of years that they can wear to church or to work.

6) Don't Spoil Your Kids

Quote from the article: "Warren Buffet says "I would give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing."

We've never been able to give our kids everything that they want, and we've told them to go out and find jobs when they want more than we feel we can give them.  Now that all 3 kids are employed - and earning their own spending money - I feel that we have succeeded.

7) Remember What's Really Important

Family.

Take time to make the memories for your kids of your times together.  Take a trip together, or take advantage of an opportunity.  Whatever you take the time to do together, it will make a difference in the lives of your kids.

8) Cook More at Home

OK, the article is quoting that Taylor Swift and Emma Stone enjoy cooking parties at each other's houses. Somehow, I don't think that this "cooking party" is low key or frugal.

I think it means cooking things at home, from scratch, that are not processed.  I do post ideas on here from time to time about easy, quick dinners to make that are easy on the budget.  Not only are these meals healthier for you, if you are cooking dinner from raw ingredients, it is much easier on the pocket book.

Taking our family of 5 out for dinner can quickly bring our tab up to $100.  For one meal. 
For that same $100, I can buy groceries for a week.

9) When in Doubt, Let Your Wife Control the Money

Actually, I know some women who are horrible with money, and handing them the keys to the bank account could put you in the poor house faster than you know.  I think the person who controls and budgets the money should be the person who has the best head for numbers and is a saver by nature.

10) Drink Cheap Wine.. and Die Broke
I'm just going to quote this directly from the article here.  It deserves some serious meditation on your part:
"It may not be boxed wine, but Chuck Feeney, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers Group, always chooses the second cheapest wine from the list.  A biography about Feeney, The Billionare Who Wasn't, How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing, chronicles Feeney's goal of giving away his fortune to charity before he dies.  A 2012 New York Times article estimated that he has already given away about $6 billion, and was working on getting rid of the last $1.5 billion by 2016.


Food for thought.

How are you doing with this list of goals?

Never Forget

13 years.  8 years to build Freedom Tower.  5 to clean out Ground Zero enough to begin again.  We will never forget.

On that day, we collectively reached out, hugged each other, grieved our losses and came back.

So, while we pause and remember what was taken from us that day, remember this: we are a scrappy country that won independence from the greatest military power on earth 200 years ago - and our army was built of nothing but farmers and immigrants.  

We might not always get along with each other, but we are ONE nation. A scrappy, determined nation.

Ain't nothing gonna keep us down.

*Matthew Wilder, Break My Stride*

A Total Tool

Years ago, I dated a guy in college.  No, he is not my husband.  We went out for one summer.  We went to picnics, we went tubing, and we played D and D with a group of friends.  Looking back on it, I believe I read more into it than actually existed.  Things ended abruptly when school began, and while I was standing there talking to him, he turned to the person standing next to me and asked her out on a date.

Yep.  That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

I was still friendly with him, but I moved on.  I dated other people, made new friends, and eventually met the man who has been my husband for 24 years now.

I think about this other dude once in a while, wonder how he's getting along.

I received a friend request from him through facebook the other day.

"OK", I thought.  Why not?  I am facebook friends with several people from that era in my life.

Less than 24 hours later, I had banned him.

Why?

The man is a total tool.

In 24 hours, he had posted over 50 times.  Including moment by moment updates on the Apple announcement yesterday.  Political information, we are talking way out there, so liberal that there really isn't even a name for it out there.  Way too much information about what kind of kinky interests he and his wife have...

But, there were the two posts that did me in.

I had shared a picture about the Vietnam War.  In short, it said that "In an era of burning draft cards, and an unpopular war, proud, determined men went to war.  God Bless our Vietnam Vets".
My father was a Vietnam Vet.  I will not go into the long list here of the horrors he lived with for the rest of his life, but he was permanently scarred by the experience.  I think what hurt him most was when he was attacked at an airport while coming home.  In the United States.  While people watched and jeered.

He posted underneath that the true patriots were the ones who stayed home to protest.

Coward.

His next post, right under that was a general letter, telling everyone how he was bullied because he was friends with gay people while we were in college.  He never stood up for them, but he just assumes that everyone knows where he stood.  He stood for them.

Coward.

Again, we were friends with the same people.  Those gay friends he was dissing in his post are my lifelong friends.  I treasure them.  I was there when stuff was going down, and he never stood up.  He ran the other way.

And now he's blaming them because he was unpopular in college.  WTF??

No, he's not blaming the fact that he wanted to be a player.  Not the fact that he would insult people every chance he got.  Not the fact that he would express things that would make people mightily uncomfortable.  NOPE. 


Look back at your life, and your own interactions, jerk.  You have no one to blame but yourself.

Instead of reveling in the fact the he has a loving wife and kids, a great job, a house, and food to put on the table every night, he is bitter about things that happened in college.

I guess I need to take stock of my own life, too.  Make certain that I am thankful for everything that I have.  I am grateful for my time in college.  My horizons were broadened.  I saw a new side of life.  I spent some time doing mission projects, and found out how graciously blessed I truly am.

I really and truly don't want my friends sitting down and branding me as a "total tool".

I believe that this post might very well qualify me for the "total tool" title.  It's okay, I admit it.

I just hope I'm not in a tool in the rest of my life.

Ray Rice

I live in the Baltimore area.  I am active in many community organizations, including one that works and advocates for the victims of domestic partner violence.  It's a heinous crime, that knows no social or demographic values.  The abused partner feels trapped, and worthless. 

I've also met Ray Rice.  I met him during training camp, back when he was a Rookie, back when the Ravens still had open practices.  I've also met him when he was out in the community, representing the Ravens.  He was a polite, well spoken person.  (He's shorter than me!  Seriously!)

I am passionate about helping the victims of domestic violence get out and get help.  I am passionate about helping them find opportunities to increase their education, and allow them the means to support themselves and regain self-esteem, self-worth, and their sense of self.

I also love my Ravens.  Living in this area, I can't even begin to tell you how much the organization does for the communities surrounding Baltimore.  They go out of their way to support community organizations in this area, they reach out into the schools, they run reading programs, they run sports camps, the players have even been known to make the high school football games in the area, to offer support and advice to the young players. 

February, Ray Rice made a mistake that he is going to regret for the rest of his life.

He hit his fiance and knocked her out.

I was upset when I first heard the story back in February.  My biggest concern was a simple one.  If this happened on tape, what happened at home where no one can see?

I was more upset when I heard that his fiance went ahead and married him.  At the time, I was wondering if it wasn't a ploy to get leniency for Ray at his court hearing.

The NFL slapped him with a 2 game suspension.

The Ravens did nothing.

I remember thinking at the time that it was odd that there was no video footage of the altercation in the elevator.  Most elevators in public buildings have cameras.  Remember the footage of Beyonce's sister fighting in the elevator?  I thought it was odd that this particular bit of footage was out there, but there was nothing from the elevator in Atlantic City.

Personally, I began to smell a cover up.

I was disappointed in my Ravens.  My Ravens gear has yet to come out. 

I boycotted the opening game.  (Okay, I only ever watch it on television.  I seriously doubt that the Ravens even knew or cared that I wasn't there.)

The Ravens organization announced a partnership with the House of Ruth - an organization that advocates for the victims of domestic violence.

I'm still not sure how I feel about that. 

Yesterday, TMZ released the footage of the actual encounter in the elevator.

Suddenly, the NFL and the Ravens took action.  Within hours, Ray was let go from the team, and he was indefinitely banned from the NFL.

Now, the question surfaces.  Did the NFL know about this video?  I'm positive that the Ravens did not know.

But, the NFL is another story.  They are currently giving a song and dance that they were never given the video.

I question their assertion.  They said they wanted to conduct a full investigation into the matter.  Wouldn't a full investigation also include requesting all videos from the place where the incident took place?  You know those casinos in Atlantic City have some of the best security around.  Saying that they didn't know it existed just doesn't quite float for me.  Didn't care enough to follow up is what I'm thinking.

Mike Vick did jail time for running an illegal dog fighting ring.

Ray Rice hits a woman, knocks her out, and what happens?  A 2 game suspension...
Once the video came out, he was banned from football.
Their standard penalty from now on will be a 6 game suspension.
6 game suspension for assault.

This makes me wonder about the priorities of the NFL.  Fighting dogs, bad.  Assaulting women, only bad if you get caught.

Like it or not, sports superstars do help set the tone for our culture.  The youth of our country enjoy football, wear the jerseys of their favorite players, and pay attention to these adults, some of whom have made it out of very tough beginnings and are now living the dream life.

The NFL needs to think seriously about what their next steps are from here.

As for me, I think my Ravens paraphernalia will remain in the closet for now.

Veggie Quinoa Pilaf- it's what's for dinner!

So, my husband starting making this about a month ago.

It's quickly turned into a weeknight staple for us, so I'm sharing it with you!

Veggie Quinoa Pilaf

1 cup quinoa- rinsed well
Various veggies, diced well  (the mix varies according to what is available in the garden that day)
1 onion, diced fine
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP cumin
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup cranberries, chopped 

In a skillet, put a glug of olive oil onto the bottom of a warmed pan.

Add the diced veggies and onion.  Stir until the onions are just crisp tender.

Add the quinoa, cinnamon, cumin, and bay leaf, give it a really good stir.

Add the water, cover the skillet, lower heat to med-low, and let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the pecans and cranberries.

 Stir well before serving.

If you desire, you can add meat to this dish- cook the meat  first.  Once it is fully cooked, then add the veggies and follow the recipe from this point onwards.

Great, wonderful, fantastic healthy meal!  The quinoa and pecans give this recipe a nice punch of protein, too.

Monuments Men

We watched The Monuments Men this weekend.

Have you seen this movie yet?  It is based upon a true story.

During World War 2, Adolf Hitler was flexing his military might, taking over Europe, and working his way into Asia.

While he was busy attempting to take over the world, he had his army stealing major works of art from the people that he had invaded.  Private collections, museums, churches, nothing was considered off limits.  He was attempting to gather the treasures of the human race and keep them for himself.  Whatever he deemed to be unworthy, or degenerate, he would destroy, removing them forever from the human experience.

A team of men from the United States, Great Britain, and France began a search for these missing works before they were lost forever.  These men were museum directors, art historians, and curators.  Traveling around Europe, searching on the front lines for these missing works of art, these men would go unarmed into situations to rescue as much art as possible - track down the owners, and if, at all possible, return it to the owner or their descendants.

This was a fascinating movie.  I tend to forget- in the midst of the crisis in the Ukraine, and the ongoing disaster in the Middle East, what the Greatest Generation actually accomplished for all of us - for the future of the world, and for our children.  Can you imagine if all of this art had disappeared forever from the face of the world?  Their is only one other event in Human History that would compare with this loss to the common human experience- the destruction of the Library at Alexandria.

The book, The Monuments Men, was written by Robert Edsel.  I haven't read it yet.  I have requested it at the library. I'm currently #450 on the waiting list.  I am curious to read "the rest of the story".  While George Clooney did a fantastic job capturing the story on film, I really want to read the story, and see what material did not make it into the movie.

I think in the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty we have going on around us right now, it does help to remember what has happened before, and that we were able to triumph in the midst of great loss and great adversity.

The movie gave me much to think about - and much to be thankful for.


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My Resolutions

8 months later, just how am I doing on my new year's resolutions?

1) 365 Grateful.
I have a gratitude journal.  I write in it weekly.  I list 5-10 things I am thankful for.
While this is not daily, it does keep me grounded, and it reminds me of the many good things I have in my life in the midst of all the crazy things that surround me.

2) Lose 10 Pounds
I have now lost 20 pounds since January!  Who-Hoo!  That's a very, very slow weight loss of 2.5 pounds a month, but since it's so slow, it's sustainable.

3) Run
Again, still haven't been running, but I am walking a lot.  I've also begun lifting some weights.

4) Get Out of Debt
Making progress.  We are paying cash now for everything.  Gas, we are alternating.  One week, we pay with cash, the following week with credit.  Books for the kids were paid for with cash.  We even managed to scrape together the $2000 when the van broke down last week.  We ate interesting foods for a week, and our emergency cash is wiped out, but, it didn't go on a credit card!

5) Finish Cleaning Out the Basement
Making progress!  I moved out of the big messy room because it is just so big and messy.  I began in the family room area.  There is a small area where the utilities are located just off of the family room.  That area has been cleaned out.  Several loads went to Goodwill.  Some went to the trash.  Some went to the rummage sale at the church, and some, I'm going to try and sell on E-Bay later on this month.

6) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
Finally got the darn needle replaced on the sewing machine, but then, the dining room table became the staging ground for items that I am sorting out for Goodwill, the Rummage Sale, etc.  It's a mess.  I DO have several other craft projects that I have finished up.  Four lap blankets went off to the church, 30 bags went to the House of Ruth's B-More Bags project, and 2 blankets were finished and handed off to Project Linus.  NOTE- all of this has come from scraps of stuff that I found in the basement that needed to be finished.

7) Spend More Time With My Family
This summer was great.  I had many opportunities to spend time with the kids while they were home.  With daughter headed off to college in the fall, I am spending as much one on one time with her as I possibly can.

8) Finish the Book I Keep Saying I'm Going to Write.
Progress!  Only 2 chapters left to research and write!

9) Finish the hallway bathroom.
Remember the post about the van breaking?  And that we had the money to pay cash for the van repair?  Guess where the money came from?  Ah, well.... I can wait.  I'm happy not to have had to put the van repair on credit card.

10)  Get Back Into My Music
Done and Done.  Choir practice at church began last week.  Our first Sunday back in front of the church after summer break will be next week.

How are you doing on your resolutions?