Three of My Winter Essentials

The past few days, Liv and I have had an icy walk to and from school. Even though I've salted my driveway and the sidewalk in front of our house, the city has sanded the streets, and the school has salted their walkways, there are still icy spots that are unavoidable.

Especially at the corner where Liv and I (as well as lots of other students) cross. This particular corner's at a somewhat low area where water naturally pools. So when we have weather just warm enough to start melting ice and snow, water pools at this corner. Then it gets below freezing, and that (seemingly giant) pool of water freezes up like an ice skating rink. It makes crossing the street a bit hazardous. We don't want to slip and fall, especially since it's at the corner - I'm always worried that either Liv or I (or another kid) will slip into oncoming traffic.

That got me to thinking about the winter weather gear that I'm glad I have.

Quite a few years ago - it must've been when I was in college and was home visiting at Christmastime - my brother Joe and I were at our local mall. He didn't have a car/ride and wanted to head to the mall to pick up some gifts; I was more than willing to go with him. I liked spending time with my brothers, and if that meant taking one of them to the mall, I was all for it.

Well, we'd walked past one of those kiosks that sells all those toasty warm shearling products. I tried on a pair of mittens and said I loved them and would have to come back another time to get them. (I don't remember why I wasn't going to get them right then.) As we walked along and Joe made a purchase for our youngest brother, Alex, and maybe another purchase for somebody else, he decided he had to go the the men's room.

Right.

He came back grinning, and I somehow noticed that he was hiding attempting to hide an extra bag among the other bags he already had. He ended up saying something like, "If you were to get those mittens you liked, you would pick the small ones and not the mediums, right?"

"Yep."

"Good."

Fast forward to Christmas day.

He'd gotten me those mittens. And I still have them, as evidenced by the photo above. They are SO WARM.

I'd used them a LOT (except for skiing/sledding, because I'd go with mittens that are a bit more water repellant), and they went with me wherever I moved - although when I was stationed in Tucson, AZ, they remained in a box of winter weather gear (like my snow parka and winter boots).

When Andrew and I ended up being stationed in Boston, and I knew I'd need these mittens at some point, I actually couldn't find them! They were lost! So Andrew, upon finding a similar pair at a similar kiosk at our "new" local mall, bought me a new pair.

The original mittens that Joe had gotten me were in that winter weather gear box and it had been temporarily lost on our household goods' journey between Tucson and the Boston area. I was glad the box finally showed up, though unfortunately, another couple boxes were lost for good.

Anyway, these mittens are perfect for those low wind-chill days when I'm walking Livie to and from school!

My other favorite winter gear invention: YakTrax.

These are things you put on your shoes that help you maintain traction as you walk on icy or otherwise slick paths, kinda like tire chains for tires. A few years ago, I'd bought a pair of the "walking" variety. They're thick rubber "webs" with metal coils that go on the bottoms of your shoes. They really help reduce all the sliding around you do on icy surfaces.

That's my very poor, poor quality photo of what they look like. (Yes, it's gunky out there with the sand and the salt and the gunk.) You can see a better pic of one here.

I actually meant to wear these one morning when I ran outside while visiting my parents over the holdiays (treadmills get boring FAST in the wintertime). But I hadn't realized that Andrew had brought them inside; I thought they were in my car. So when I got to the trail head, they weren't there. But I went running anyway, and slipped on a nasty patch of ice, wrenching my right foot and aggravating the just-about-completely healed tendonitis. I took a couple weeks off, and that morphed into a couple more weeks off and. . . well, I need to get back to running. I'm just about out of the habit.

Anyway, my third favorite winter thing?

My peppermint mug. Usually used for coffee, and occasionally for hot chocolate. I use it mostly in the winter, because it seems like it's a wintery themed mug, right?

Anybody else have winter gear you just can't live without?

Hay, There! Rural Thursday

I've got something for "Rural Thursday" this week! This past weekend, while we were out running errands, I took these photos of some trucks laden with large hay bales. (Andrew was driving, so I had the chance to click away with my iPhone.) Definitely a sight I never saw when I lived in Chicago or Boston! But it's a sight I've seen a few times here in Iowa.

"Rural Thursday" is co-hosted by A Rural Journal and Two Bears Farm. Please click on the "Rural Thursday" button below (with the rooster) to view the rest of this week's entries:

Favorite Christmas Ornaments

Last night, Livie was asking me about some of the ornaments we have on our Christmas tree. So I was telling her about them, and where Andrew and I had gotten them.

After telling her the stories about my favorite ones, she asked me if I were planning on posting photos on the computer. I hadn't, but she asked me to, so she could see the photos after getting home from school today . . . so here are the photos and stories about my favorite ornaments (get settled in and cozy with a warm beverage before you start reading - it's a long one!):

This first photo shows two Chicago Blackhawks ornaments. The ball is my first and "oldest" favorite. When Andrew and I had our church wedding in Chicago in 2002, we stayed for a couple days after the wedding and took in the wonders that Chicago has to offer, including a Blackhawks game against the Dallas Stars at the United Center (where Chicago's basketball team, the Bulls, also play).

We'd gotten married on a Saturday evening, and the game was the next evening. This was Andrew's first NHL game ever, so it was a treat for him. I'd bought tickets for my brother Alex and my dad; unfortunately, Alex couldn't make it at the last minute. So it was just Andrew, my dad, and me. It was my dad's first NHL game, too, having only been to a few minor league games in Des Moines, IA. Me? Well, I'm a huge Blackhawks fanatic fan, so I'd been to plenty of games by this time (and I even have a Blackhawks tattoo - but that's a story for another time).

So when the game started, both Andrew and my dad were amazed at the speed and power of the game, which is hard to appreciate when you've only seen NHL games on TV. They also had fun at the United Center. I'd made sure to treat them to the full experience - the beer, the nachos, the screaming crazily cheering wildly for the 'Hawks. My brother, Joe, and I (and sometimes one of Joe's friends) had been to numerous 'Hawks games in the past, and we always enjoyed the combination of the Blackhawks/being in the United Center/nachos/beer/cheering, so I wanted to make sure both Andrew and my dad experienced these things, too.

Well, during one of the intermissions when Andrew and I had gone to get more treats, we'd come across some ladies selling ornaments - the ceramic ball with the hand painting on it. As you can see, they are really cool, with the Blackhawks logo, the city skyline (which goes all around the ornament), a beautiful evening-blue sky, and snow. It came in a red, satiny box (with padding on the inside), so we could safely transport it home. Since I'm such a Blackhawks fan, Andrew decided to buy one for me . . . and it would also commemorate our wedding weekend, too. (The Blackhawks player ornament - #88, Patrick Kane - was a recent addition.)

***

This next one was from some Christmas store around Fanueil Hall in Boston (where we were stationed for 4 years). Since I was an equestrienne for most of my life, Andrew thought this rocking horse would be a nice addition to our ornament collection (especially since they could paint my name on it), and the year would signify our first Christmas together.

***

The next few are from when we lived in Alamogordo, NM. Livie and I had moved from the Boston area to New Mexico when she was 4 months old. Andrew followed about 3.5 months later, after he returned from his deployment.

When he'd gotten back, he and I had spent just under 24 hours in Santa Fe, while my parents spent time with baby Livie in El Paso, TX with my grandparents. I loved Santa Fe, and would love to go back one day (and spend more than just most of one day there!).

While we were in Santa Fe, we came across a Christmas shop (Susan's Christmas Shop, if I remember correctly), so we had to go in. I figured this would be the perfect place to get some southwestern-looking ornaments for our first Christmas in New Mexico, especially since it would be Livie's first Christmas ever.

I found the best little ornaments to commemorate our time in New Mexico!

This first one is a little pot made by a Native American. As you can see on the front, it depicts an adobe pueblo so common for the area. You can click on the photo to see it a bit bigger, and maybe that'll help you get a better view of the chile ristras depicted on the ornament. On the back, it says: 2006, Feliz Navidad, Santa Fe, and the artist's signature.

Yes, it's a little blurry when you click on it, but it gives you a good idea of what it looks like.

This Native American baby is probably my favorite, because I think it's so cute. They had these in baby-boy-blue, as well. I got the pink one to signify Livie's first (New Mexican) Christmas. Livie loves how it looks like the baby is saying, "Oooh" with her round, little red mouth.

These next two are of the St. Francis of Assisi church in Rancho de Taos, NM. I love this style of church, and I'm glad I found one depicted in an ornament. The second photo shows the bottom of the ornament: it's a tiny history of the church, along with the artist's signature.

So there you have my very favorite Christmas tree ornaments, signifying various places where we've lived. However, they each make me a little homesick (for Chicago, Boston, and New Mexico, respectively), when I put them on the tree.

I know this was a long post, but I hope you enjoyed the stories.

The Good Luck "Charm"

This morning I was reminiscing with Livie about something she did as a baby, when we lived in New Mexico.

Okay, so here's some background: Andrew and I were active duty and stationed in the greater Boston area when Livie was born. When she was just about 3 months old, Andrew was deployed for 120+ days.

Then, a month after he deployed, I got orders for a new assignment just about 2000 miles away, in southern New Mexico! Livie was almost 4 months old when she and I moved across the country!! (Luckily, the military took care of packing, shipping, and delivering my household goods. My mom was my travel companion, helping me and Livie during our cross country travel by air.)

We ended up flying from Boston's Logan International Airport to the El Paso International Airport, as this was the closest major commercial airport to Alamogordo - which was where my new assignment was. (I'll have to tell that story another day.)

My maternal grandparents lived in El Paso, so we would stay at their house for a couple days before heading the 70-80 miles to Alamogordo. This was nice, because my grandparents were able to meet Livie, their great-granddaughter, for the first time.

Anyway, because we were just over an hour's drive north of my grandparents' place, my mom ended up coming out to visit once a month for about a week or so at a time, while Andrew was still deployed. She'd fly into El Paso, stay with my grandparents, visiting them for a couple days. Then she'd head north to visit me and Livie for a few days (helping me as I got through my 4-month "solo parenting" stint). Then she'd head back to El Paso for a few more days before heading home. This was a really nice setup.

This is the view of the Sacramento Mountains from our back yard. This is one reason why I miss New Mexico.

 

During one particular visit that summer, she was on the floor, playing with baby Livie, enjoying her down time with her first grandchild. See, as soon as this particular trip was over, she'd be racing around all stressed out, packing and heading out for a ballroom dancing competition (she and her coach are competitive ballroom dancers). So she was really enjoying doing nothing else but spending time with Liv.

My mom was down on the floor with her, just out of view of the camera.

As I was doing something in the other room (I think unpacking groceries?) I heard her "yelp"! I went in there to see what was going on. Apparently, a gummy, teething Livie felt like she needed to chew on something, and chose one of my mom's arms, just above the elbow. She went for the closest thing and chomped down!

Well, guess what?! The four little teeth that'd already come through had left a little bruised imprint on my mom's arm!

This outfit is similar to what she'd been wearing when she was bitten - short sleeves made her arm a tempting teething target, I guess!

My mom, knowing that her ballroom dancing dress wouldn't cover that part of her arm, could only laugh and say, "That little bite mark from my favorite person will just have to be my good luck charm!"

And you know what? It was a good luck charm! She ended up winning a good number of prizes at that competition!

After telling Livie what she had done unintentionally to her Abuelita, she smiled and told me what a great story that was. She then wondered if Abuelita remembered that incident. So I explained that once in a while, when I think of that incident, I'll ask Abuelita if she remembers, and she always smiles and says, "Of course, I remember."

Memory Lane Friday - Cookouts and Barbecues

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "Cookouts and Barbecues."

I've loved cookouts for about as long as I can remember. There's just something about eating outside, eating food that was prepared on a grill that makes everything just so delicious. And fun!

Back when my grandparents lived in El Paso, TX and I spent lots of time with them (as a very young girl), I can remember an occasional cookout at White Sands National Monument. My cousins and I would be out on these fantastic white sand dunes playing (and "sledding") and working up an appetite, while somebody would be preparing the meal on a grill (which the park had for public use).

We'd all be famished by the time the meal was served. It didn't matter if it we were eating hot dogs or something much fancier, it was always downright tasty!

I took this photo of White Sands a few years ago, when I lived in New Mexico.

I can also remember times as a student at Culver Academies, that we equestrians would have a cookout on the Riding Hall terrace, overlooking the parade field and Lake Maxinkuckee. Typically, a few of the riding instructors would man the grill and cook steaks (or burgers, or whatever) for us during one of these cookouts, all of us teammates having a good time, enjoying the company and the food. 

Those didn't happen too often, but they were fun when they did happen. 

When I was older (after college and also while I was in the military), I'd sometimes visit my grandparents and have the opportunity to grill steaks on their backyard grill. Oma would usually be inside, fixing a salad and/or other side dishes while I was outside tending to the steaks. Sir Rafa would sometimes accompany me outside to "supervise."

Occasionally, we'd even eat outside on the patio after I finished grilling the steaks.

This wasn't too often, so I tended to really appreciate it when the opportunity arose.

While in the military, we'd occasionally have unit cookouts, with family members invited. It was always about the camaraderie, getting outside and enjoying some downtime together . . .and it was also about the food, of course.

Andrew and I would also grill a lot (steaks, chicken, veggies, burgers, hot dogs, whatever) when we were stationed just outside Boston, especially when the weather was nice. I'd gotten a nice Weber grill as a "present" for both of us as an anniversary gift our first summer there.

We loved getting jalapeño/cheddar burger patties from the meat department at a specialty grocery store down the road from the base. They were so delish! 

However, the last time I ate tried to eat one of those burgers . . . well, it wasn't pretty. Andrew had just been deployed and my mom was out visiting me and baby Livie (who was about 3 months old at the time). 

I'd picked up some of those burgers for my mom and myself. But after I'd fired up the grill, Livie decided it was time to nurse, so I went upstairs to nurse her. My mom offered to throw the burgers on the grill and prepare them for us, so they'd be ready by the time I'd finished nursing Livie.

But she was is not a griller . . . she'd left the burgers on the grill too long, turning them into charred little hockey pucks. So sad. 

Of course, there were also times when we would go out for BBQ, like to a BBQ restaurant for a meal - like my whole office (such as when I was stationed in Tucson - we'd go to a place called Jack's BBQ - I think I even took Andrew there once when he came out to visit). It was always fun getting out of the office for an hour or 90 minutes and having some tasty BBQ. (Of course, we'd also go out for sushi for lunch . . . but that's another story.)

Speaking of BBQ . . . there was this BBQ place Andrew and I found when we were stationed in the greater Boston area. It was down the block from the ballroom dancing studio in West Newton, where we took weekly lessons. This place, Blue Ribbon BBQ, was AWESOME!! 

They have the best, best, BEST baked beans. To this day, they are my favorite baked beans, ever!! My mouth is totally watering, just thinking about this place (and their baked beans). I usually got either the pulled pork or the pulled chicken to go with the beans - you know, so I wasn't just eating baked beans. 

Most weeks, we'd go there for dinner (either before or after our lesson, depending on what time our lesson started - the dancing lesson and dinner ended up being our "date night"). When we ate there, I always said, "the better the BBQ, the messier it is," because I usually dripped BBQ onto my clothing when we ate there. So if we planned on eating there (instead of the pub down the street), I'd need a spare shirt to change into (in the studio bathroom, of course), because I usually spilled BBQ sauce (or baked beans) on myself.

Another favorite BBQ place of mine is called Dinosaur BBQ in New York (NYC and upstate NY). I've only been to the one in Syracuse - a couple times while I was active duty with other members of my unit, as well as a time Andrew and I were on a road trip and spent the night in Syracuse. 

As soon as he and I checked into our hotel, by the way, I insisted we go to Dinosaur BBQ for dinner, for both the food and the ambiance. 

If you click here, you'll see that a lot of bikers stop there. It made Andrew a little nervous at first, for some reason, but then he realized it was all okay! 

Besides, not only is their BBQ awesome, they also have the most delish fried green tomatoes . . . and the desserts? I love their key lime pie and their pecan pie! Yum!! 

And now I am so incredibly hungry for BBQ!!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted weekly by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry this week, as well as other participants' posts:

Memory Lane Friday - Mother's Day

For Memory Lane Friday this week, we had a choice of what to write about: Mother's Day or 4th Grade. I've decided to go with the Mother's Day theme. And yes, this is going to be a pictorial journey honoring mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers.

 This first photo is of a girl and her grandmother, obviously. Oma and I are walking somewhere. Judging by the outfit Oma is carrying for me, we're going to get my portrait taken. I know this because the date on the photo is July 1973 (I was about 2.5 at the time) and because I have professional portraits of myself in that outfit from - you guessed it - July 1973. Sir Rafa took this photo of Oma and me.

My Oma and I are headed out, El Paso, July 1973.

Now here I am with my mom.  My dad took this photo. This was immediately after my Air Force OTS (Officer Training School) graduation at Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, AL. I was facing the sun, hence the sun squint.

My mom and I are at my OTS graduation, Montogmery, AL, 19 Nov 1999.

Okay, here's another photo in the "moms and kids" section. Baby Liv and I are home together in the Boston area; she's almost 3 months old here. Yes, this was the period where I hadn't bothered to brush my hair after groggily getting up in the morning.

Here's Livie and Grandmamá (and Grandpapá on the left) at the party we had after Livie's Baptism. Grandmamá is obviously overjoyed; this is one of my favorite photos of the two of them.

Olivia's Baptism party at the O' Club, Hanscom AFB, MA, 22 Apr 2006.

Here's another grandmother/granddaughter photo. I took this photo soon after Livie and I moved from the Boston area to New Mexico. We'd just gotten to the area, and hadn't yet bought/moved into our house in New Mexico. My mom had helped me and Livie travel to the El Paso/Alamogordo area. She had scheduled a few days in El Paso to visit, before heading home. I took this photo in Oma's kitchen. This, by the way, is one of my mom's favorite photos of her and Liv.

Olivia and Abuelita in El Paso, 25 Jun 2006.

 Okay, here's the great-grandmother/great-granddaughter photo! I took this photo of them at my Aunt Lily and Uncle Joe's house in El Paso on Veterans' Day 2006. They had invited us (Oma, Sir Rafa, Andrew, myself, Livie, and Uncle Hector) over for dinner. I can't remember if it was a Veterans' Day dinner (since Sir Rafa, Uncle Joe, Hector, Andrew, and I were veterans), or if it was because my birthday was the next day. Maybe it was a just-because dinner. Regardless, it was a fun time and a tasty homemade meal, thanks to Aunt Lily.

Oma and Olivia in El Paso, Veterans' Day, 2006.

Now I can't forget a photo of Aunt Lily (the Great-Aunt, and a great aunt) and Livie!

Aunt Lily and Livie!

Happy Mother's Day to Oma, Aunt Lily, Abuelita, and Grandmamá!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry for the week, as well as other contributors' entries.

Memory Lane Friday - No Theme Week

Okay, we've got another No Theme week here at Memory Lane Friday! While I always have fun with the other Memory Lane Friday topics that Lisa over at Two Bears Farms suggests, it's fun to occasionally have these No Theme weeks, too.

Anyway, I was all set to write a post yesterday so I could schedule it to post itself this morning. However, I was wiped out after mid-terms (lots of writing). I actually sat down at my computer to whip up a post when I got home from class, but then I got distracted and immediately forgot about the post.

Well, Liv has been asking me about traveling, lately - where we could go, what hotels we'd stay in, what we'd do at a particular location, would we drive or go on a plane - that kind of thing.

She got me thinking about the very first time she traveled - she was just about 4 months old at the time. Andrew was deployed in the Middle East at the time, having left just a week or two before we were to head to our new assignment in New Mexico.

Here I was with a 4-month-old baby, having to move from the Boston area to southern New Mexico! By myself! Thankfully, Andrew's parents had come out to help with the packing and other stuff that needed to be done so the movers could ship our household goods to New Mexico.

And thankfully, my mom had come out to help me travel all that distance with baby Liv.

The day we were to leave, my mom and I had to get up extra early. We had a mid-morning flight out of Boston's Logan airport, so with all the security stuff we had to deal with at the airport, we had to get an early start. We were having "The Airporter" (a commercial "taxi" taking people in the Greater Boston area to/from the airport) come get us - oh, around 6 AM or so.

After each of us showered, dressed, and packed any remaining belongings (like toiletries) into our suitcases, I nursed Livie, got her dressed, and went to check out of billeting (the on-base lodging, like a hotel).

Then the Airporter arrived. I remember this drive to the airport, that rainy, overcast morning. It was gloomy that morning at sunrise, and because of the rainy weather, it was SO dark and gray in the Airporter van. Livie had only been in my little Corolla, so when we zoomed (literally) to the airport, we were getting bounced around in that van. She was in her car seat, buckled into the seat, of course, but she could still feel the bumpiness. She had a super surprised look on her face the whole ride, big round eyes, big round mouth shaped like a perfect circle of surprise. I thought she'd cry, but she just looked around with that surprised face the whole 30-40 minute trip.

Once we got to the airport, all I can say is that I'm so thankful for another set of competent adult hands to help me and Livie get our bags checked, and through security!!

And I'm thankful that my mom bought us day passes to the airline's airport club/lounge so we'd have somewhere quiet to wait for our flight, instead of waiting at a bustling gate. That way, if Livie fell asleep, she could nap in a quieter, less traveled spot. Also, I'd be able to nurse her in private, when necessary. Because of the day pass, we could use the airline's airport lounge at both the Boston and Dallas airports (we were going through Dallas because our final destination was El Paso, TX).

 I can't remember for sure if I took this photo in Boston or Dallas; I think it was Boston, because I don't see the bright pink gate-check ticket on the stroller handle (the baby seat we used on the plane, buckled in tightly with the seat belt). We used the stroller in the airport, but gate-checked it for each flight.

Liv's hanging out in the "Admiral's Lounge."

I was worried that Liv would cry or be fussy during the flight. I had a pacifier in case the flight bothered her ears, but as soon as the engines revved up, she was out, soundly sleeping for take-off. And during the flight, I was able to nurse her (with a special cover-up so no one would see anything), so I'm sure that helped her ears feel better.

She was SO GOOD during the flight, that when we got to Dallas, a lady in front of us, upon standing up and and getting her stuff from the overhead bin, saw us with a baby and exclaimed, "Oh, my goodness! I didn't know there was a baby right behind me! She was so quiet!" I was so relieved, hoping she'd be the same way during our connecting flight.

And she was, thankfully!

Yes, I absolutely had to get a photo of her on her very first airplane ride! Once the seat belt sign had been turned off, and she woke up from her nap, I took her out of the car seat so her grandmother could hold her.

Here we are on Liv's first flight, being held after the captain turned off the seatbelt sign.

She was so good the whole trip. Nevertheless, I was absolutely relieved when we got to the El Paso airport, and headed to my grandparents' house. And they were crazy with love upon meeting their great-grandchild, Livie, for the first time!

Come back next week when the topic is Kindergarten.

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Can't believe it's time for party #5!!

Liv is going to turn 5-years-old next week! It seems like just yesterday that I ordered her a unicorn cake for her 4th birthday. And it feels like just last week when I moved from the greater Boston area to New Mexico with a 4-month-old Baby Liv.

Anyway, since Andrew and I are in grad school, with little time for fun, we're going to have a low-key, low-fuss party for Liv this coming Saturday.

We're going to have her grandparents (both maternal and paternal) coming to visit. Maybe her great-grandmother, Oma, will be able to come. We've also invited her Uncle Joe, Tia Pia, and little niece (my niece, that is - Liv's cousin), as well.

I've got her cake ordered. It will have a princess on it, and be full of pink and purple, you know - the girly, princess colors.

And we'll have pizza. What kid wouldn't like that?!

I can't wait til she gets to open her presents. She's going to have a blast.

Happy 2nd Eighth Anniversary!!

Andrew and I got married by a justice of the peace on Friday 21 Jun 2002, while we were still on active duty . . . that way we could get orders for a "join-spouse" assignment and be at the same base at the same time. Otherwise, I would've moved on to a new assignment while he remained at his for another 2-3 years. We'd have no guarantee that he'd ever be assigned at my new base any time in the future.

At our justice of the peace ceremony that hot, humid June morning in Fayetteville, NC, we had a few of the guys from Andrew's current unit come out to the courthouse to act as our witnesses. I wore "business" attire - a nice blouse, khaki pants, a black blazer, and black leather shoes. Andrew? He wore jeans and a t-shirt.

After a brief ceremony (it took only minutes), we were officially married; he and I were then off to spend the weekend in the Raleigh-Durham area. We'd window shopped at the nice outdoor shopping area, then went out for a big HUGE Italian dinner at the Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant in Durham. Afterward, we saw a movie, "Lilo and Stitch" (still one of my all-time favorite Disney movies, by the way).

The justice of the peace ceremony, by the way, made the "join-spouse" assignment (same base/same time) a reality after the appropriate personnel received the official marriage certificate. As soon as I got back to my base in Tucson - which means the very next day - the marriage certificate went its merry way to the aforementioned "appropriate personnel."

A few months later, we both got orders to move from our current assignments (mine in Tucson, his in Fayetteville) to our new ones in New England, together -same base, same time frame, but different units.

Later that year, about 3 months after we both settled into the Boston area for our new assignments, we did the "official" church wedding, on Saturday 14 Dec 2002 at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. This time we had the guests, the cake, the party . . .

Speaking of cake:

Photo ©2002 - Brad Baskin

My mom and I had been planning the December shin-dig since February 2002, well before the aforementioned justice of the peace ceremony in June.

This time, though I was in the big, fancy, fru-fru dress and veil, and Andrew was finally dressed appropriately in his Mess Dress (the Air Force's formal, fancy tux-like uniform).

Anyway, when the following June 21st approached (the justice of the peace anniversary), I'd made a comment about celebrating our 1st Anniversary (the justice of the peace one). Andrew had already decided we'd just celebrate the church wedding in December. I said no, we'd celebrate both.

The mom of one of our neighbors said, "You'll celebrate both. You never make a woman choose between two anniversaries!"  Her daughter and son-in-law (our neighbors) had done the same thing as we did, and for similar reasons - a quiet, very low-key justice of the peace ceremony first (with just a couple witnesses), and then a few months later the big church wedding with the dress, the Mess Dress, the guests, the church, the cake, etc.

Anyway, here are a few of our many church wedding photos:

Photo ©2002 - Brad Baskin

Me and my 3 awesome bridesmaids! L to R: Dianne, Brenda, me, obviously, and Candi

Photo ©2002 - Brad Baskin

Andrew and his Best Man and the Groomsmen! L to R: Adam (the Best Man), P.J., Andrew, David, Keith

Photo ©2002 - Brad Baskin

During the ceremony, inside the Cathedral:

Photo ©2002 - Brad Baskin

So, there you have it. That's how, with the justice of the peace ceremony and the church wedding, Andrew and I have two anniversaries per year.

And since today's the church anniversary, it's the "2nd Eighth" Anniversary  (the "1st Eighth" Anniversary obviously having been in June).

Most importantly, here is where I'd like to say, "Happy '2nd Eighth' Anniversary, Andrew! Love and kisses!"

Here's a video that I think fits us (make sure your volume's on):


The song is by Ingrid Michaelson, and is called "The Way I Am." (The song/slideshow is off of YouTube.)



And here's the song Andrew and I used for our first dance at our wedding reception:

It's called "You Are My Home," sung by Vanessa Williams and Chayanne.

(This is a fitting video because we took ballroom dancing lessons for nearly 4 years while stationed in the Boston area. This song is from a ballroom dancing movie called "Dance with Me.")

Memory Lane Friday - A Favorite Holiday Food

This week's Memory Lane Friday theme is "A Favorite Holiday Food."

You know how many holiday foods there are to enjoy? Cookies, cakes, breads, candies, beverages (peppermint hot chocolate, etc) . . .  Mmmm.

Like my grandmother's stuffing. Yum-o! I thought I had the recipe, but I can't find it (I know I've made it, though). My mom still makes this stuffing for Thanksgiving every year.

But while I love my Oma's stuffing, that's not the favorite holiday food I want to talk about.

My favorite holiday food, I think, MUST be tamales - the savory kind.

Tamales are usually made this time of year; therefore, they're a popular, traditional food around the holidays.

They are something you'd usually make in a large group - like if you had family visiting, then you'd have a lot of helping hands. Why? The making of tamales is a very time consuming process. You've got to make the "dough," which is made of masa - a corn meal, then stuffed with seasoned pork or other meat, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed until cooked.

Once ready to eat, you take the corn husk off, then gobble them up.

There are sweet dessert tamales, too, where you'd replace the savory stuffing with something sweet like apples and cinnamon or a caramel filling or something like that. I've had the sweet variety, and while tasty, I prefer savory. 

When I was pregnant with Livie, I absolutely craved tamales. I would've done just about anything to get some tamales. We were in the Boston area at the time, and I had no idea where to get tamales.

Fortunately, I had an acquaintance tell me of a Mexican restaurant in Cambridge (home of the famous Harvard University), and this restaurant (Forest Cafe on Mass Ave) had delicious tamales.

Andrew and I went off, in the middle of December in Boston, to get tamales at this restaurant. They absolutely hit the spot.

So you now know that I love tamales enough to have craved them while pregnant.

The next December, we were in New Mexico. And guess what? We were fortunate enough to have a neighbor bring a whole basket of tamales as a Christmas gift for us - and she included three types! Pork, beef, and sweet. It was awesome not only because I love tamales, but because she and her family made the tamales themselves!

I wanted to gobble them up, but at the same time, I wanted to stick them in the freezer, so I'd have them for a long time.

Andrew and I ended up eating the savory ones all through the remainder of December, and freezing all but a couple of the sweet ones. They didn't last too long, though, since they were so tasty. I think we ended up finishing the sweet ones I'd frozen sometime in mid-January.

Last year, after we'd been here in Iowa for a while, we were again fortunate enough for an acquaintance bring some homemade tamales for us to eat over the holidays! They were delicious!! I'm hoping she will have enough to share again this year!!

Here's a photo of some tamales (in their corn husks) being steamed:

Photo from Wikipedia.com

My mouth is watering and my tummy is growling, just thinking of tamales!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Two Bears Farm and the Three Cubs. Please click on the button below to read her post, as well as this week's other entries.

Please come back next week when the theme is "A Favorite Holiday Movie."

Memory Lane Friday - Shopping

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "Shopping." How fitting for "Black Friday," right?!

I've been wavering back and forth trying to pin down the shopping experience I wanted to write about this week. While I know it's "Black Friday," I couldn't come up with a seasonal anecdote.

So I finally decided to write about my shopping trip to pick out my wedding dress. Okay, so this shopping trip happened in the springtime, but the actual wedding happened during the holiday season (mid-December).

This was back in May 2002. I was stationed in Tucson, AZ at the time, and Andrew was in Fayetteville, NC. Andrew and I were planning on doing a justice of the peace ceremony in early summer, so we could get the marriage certificate and get orders to the same Air Force base at the same time.

That had to happen by the end of June at the very latest, or I'd get orders for who-knows-where. And Andrew? Well, he'd have to stay at his base for another couple years. And who knows if we'd ever make it to the same place at the same time.

But we were still planning for our church wedding, which, as of February 2002, had already been reserved for December 14th at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

So here I was, in Tucson, with my bridesmaids were scattered all over the U.S. (Texas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Nevada). My mom? She was in Iowa.

Wondering where to start, my maid of honor suggested David's Bridal. The closest one to me was in Phoenix - nearly a 2 hour drive northwest.

So I called the 800 number to find out where exactly they were located, and to schedule an appointment. There were actually TWO of them in Phoenix. I was glad I called because I would've had no idea which one was closer to me. And I was able to get a Saturday appointment, late morning, so I'd have time to head up there and not have to rush.

The day of the appointment, I called to get directions off the interstate. Then I headed out.

I was excited and a bit nervous about picking out "The Dress." But I was also a little sad, disappointed, because none of my bridesmaids would be with me. That didn't discourage me, however. I was determined to have fun, regardless.

When I got there, I was a bit overwhelmed, but the sales associate I'd be working with was very good at listening to the ideas I had, and then helping me find styles that I'd like. I explained that I'd be getting married in Chicago in December, so that helped her figure out what look I was going for, and what kinds of dresses to help me find.

The first time I went in the dressing room, though, I realized that I had needed my bridesmaids - at least one of them - because there's a certain bridal undergarment that the sales associate gave me, and - well - you really need help putting it on.

But I signaled to her to please come in and help me with it. Then it was on to trying on dresses.

There was one that I absolutely LOVED. It had this long train with lace, sequins, and faux pearls. But . . . and of course, there's a but . . . it had sleeves I did NOT care for and the shoulders were way too poofy for me, so I had to say no.

I tried others, explaining what I loved about each dress, and what I didn't quite like.

Finally, I tried one on and thought, This is it. Okay, so the train was not quite as long as the other one I'd loved, but I nevertheless loved all the details of this particular dress.

 Here's the one I picked. (This is from the wedding day photo session).

© Brad Baskin – 2002

We then picked out a veil that matched - it had little rhinestones and faux pearls, just like the dress. And then the shoes (just white satin).

And to top it off, since I'd be getting married in December in Chicago, I picked out a white satin cape with faux fur trim. Check out this link to see what it looked like. And I also got the matching faux fur hand muff. All the sales associates were so excited to be able to see the cape and muff on an actual person! See, they were in Phoenix, so why would a bride need a bridal cape there? Right?

Anyway, since I was heading to the Boston area in a few months, I opted not to get it altered there in Phoenix. The associate let me know the closest store where I could get it altered once Andrew and I moved to Boston for our new assignment. It was in the Natick, MA store, by the way (the poor directions and my getting lost on my way to my first alterations appointment are details for another story).

Oh, and on my way out, I bought my dad a baseball-style cap in black, with white embroidering stating "Father of the Bride"! It was cute. I think he still has it.
 

 Here are two more views of the dress. First, the train (my dad's doing "the hand off"):

© Brad Baskin – 2002

And another view of the front:

© Brad Baskin – 2002

Okay, okay, so here's one more photo of a couple of my bridesmaids doing up my bustling. This was so I could walk around easily during the reception. 

© Brad Baskin – 2002

So yes, I was a little sad that I didn't have my friends with me while shopping for "The Dress" - I felt their absence most while in the dressing room alone AND when I was out in front of the mirrors looking at my final choice. 

But I have to say it was a good adventure after all, and a nice way to remember my first trip to Phoenix.

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Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Two Bears Farm and the Three Cubs.

Autumn is here . . . sort of.

Well, autumn is definitely trying to show her face here in eastern Iowa. We've been getting some nice, chilly temps at night. And for the most part, we've been getting comfortable temps during the day. Well, some days have had comfortable temps, but other days? They seem more like early summer, with temps in the upper 70s and low 80s.

Nevertheless, I won't complain, because true autumn-like temps will be here every day, soon enough. And I can't wait!

In the meantime, I've been enjoying the fall foliage, what we've been getting of it, so far. Okay, so it's not what we'd see in Boston and the rest of the Northeast, but the colors are still stunning.

Check it out: 

Okay, so not all the trees have started changing. Take the one below, for example. It's still green. It's dropping a lot of acorns, though, and Liv would LOVE to catch one. However, they basically just go plunk somewhere near her (and once in a while, one will go plunk on her head!).

Here she is, waiting to see if an acorn will drop, so she can try and catch it.

Memory Lane Friday - A Birthday

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "A Birthday."

My birthday is mid-November . . . November 12th to be exact. Ahh, autumn - my absolute favorite season. I always had the idea that because I was born in the autumn, I love autumn the best. 

Anyway, since my birthday falls in a chilly month, I never had pool parties or something similar to celebrate my birthday. It was usually something indoors.

I remember one year, however, that I had my birthday at Living History Farms in Urbandale, IA. It must've been for one of my early "teen" birthdays (13 or 14?). I remember having classmates from school in attendance, as well as a friend who went to a different school, but was on the local United States Pony Club team with me.

On this birthday, I vaguely remember going on a hay ride with all my friends, and maybe having a tour of the Living History Farms, and how farm life in the Midwest was, way back in the day. Then I remember being in some building with a fire crackling, and having cake around a long wooden table.

Other than that, I don't have many memories of spectacular birthdays when I was younger. Although, when I was about 5 or 6, I do remember being sick and having to stay home from school on my birthday.

The good thing is that I'd gotten a present from my mom early in the day - Legos - and I was having fun figuring out how to make things as I sat in the den, wishing I'd felt better, and watching TV (Sesame Street, I think).

I also remember that it was a gray, November day, and the Midwestern skies looked like gunmetal - dark, ominous.

At some point, when I looked outside, it was snowing! I was so excited. Now, I love autumn - the scents: apples, cinnamon, crisp air, pumpkin pie -  and I love the cool, crisp weather, the changing leaves.

The first snowfall, though, always seems like magic.

So,anyway . . . I do remember really fun memories of various birthdays as an adult.

When I turned 28, I was living in the Chicagoland area. My mom happened to be in the area, and my brothers were already in the area, because they were going to college in Chicago.

So we all got together with some friends at one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago - Rosebud on Rush (it's just down the street from Holy Name Cathedral where Andrew and I got married a few years later). I think my birthday was in the middle of the week, so we met midday on the Saturday either just before or just after my actual birthday. We had a great time and had some great food. And to top it all off, I think I may have even gone to a Chicago Blackhawks game on my actual birthday, probably with my brother Joe and his friend Travis.

Here we are at Rosebud on Rush. I'm the third one from the left.

My mom took this photo.

And the next year when I turned 29, I was in Air Force Officer Training School (OTS) in Maxwell, AL. Well, it was getting close to the end of our 12.5 week training (we graduated exactly one week after my birthday, by the way). Anyway, towards the end of training, we had what's called a Dining Out - a formal dinner, where we were in our most formal uniforms, the Mess Dress, which is the equivalent of a tuxedo. Our Dining Out was just 3 days after my birthday, and during our last week of training, so while it wasn't a "birthday" party, there was a very festive vibe in the air. 

This is me in my Mess Dress just 3 days after my 29th birthday.

Then in 2002, when I turned 32, Andrew and I were recently stationed in the greater Boston area and were continuing to plan our church wedding for that December in Chicago (read: I was saying, "here's what I want," my mom was doing her best to execute my plan in Chicago because I couldn't get leave to plan it in person, and Andrew was just going along with it). 

Now I don't remember what Andrew and I did to actually celebrate my birthday. But my favorite memory from this particular birthday was a call from my mom. 

She'd said, "Guess what I'm doing right now on your birthday?" 

Of course, I had no idea, but I knew it must've been something good, so I smiled really big and I asked her, "Um, I dunno. What are you doing on my birthday?"

"I'm in Chicago and I'm tasting wedding cakes, trying to decide which one you'll like the best." 

Well, she certainly picked the right one, because it was absolutely delish. It was white cake and had a lemon butter cream filling plus a layer of raspberry glaze in the middle. SO yummy. Of course, she picked well, because she's my mom and she knows my taste. Besides, it WAS my birthday, so I must've been sending her vibes on what I'd like best.

Here it is, topped with stargazer lilies (one of my favorite flowers, also found in my bouquet):

This photo only: © 2002 Brad Baskin

So I have no special memories of one birthday in particular, but lots of small memories from a bunch of birthdays.

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Come back next week when the topic is July 4th!

So many books . . .

With the receipt of a Barnes and Noble gift card for Mother's Day, I've been to the bookstore a few times trying to narrow down which books I should get right now.

For now, I've settled for a book called The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees (50% off, with an additional 10% off for Barnes and Noble patrons holding a "Members" card) and a magazine about the midwest.

The remaining amount on the gift card? It's being saved for a new book by one of my very favorite authors, Nelson DeMille. He has a new book coming out in early June, called The Lion. I'm anxiously awaiting getting my hands on it; I'm sure I will have it read soon after purchasing it. I've been waiting for months for this book to come out!

Wouldn't it be exciting being an author, and having people as excited as I, when they find out you've got a new book coming out?!

Anyway, I'm sure I'll still have a little left over on the gift card. But I'll have to browse around to decide what to buy with that remainder. I have a few ideas, but we'll have to wait and see, to find out which book actually makes it home, in addition to The Lion.

In the meantime, I've checked out Louisa May Alcott's classic, Little Women, from the library. First, because I've been thinking about it for a week or so, for some reason. Might as well put my thinking to good use and read the book.

Second, because of my purchase at the bookstore today. What are the chances, by the way, that I'd be thinking about Little Women, and then happening to find a book (though fictional) about Louisa May Alcott?

And my favorite connection: Livie was born in Concord, MA.

I'd love to go back and visit that area (just to visit, not to live). That area is great, and there are so many things to do and see: the Minute Man National Park, Boston, the North End, Mike's Pastry, the New England Aquarium, a trip to Maine . . .

One view of the beautiful Minute Man National Historic Park in the summertime:

Memory Lane Friday - The Foods I Loved

Today's Memory Lane Friday topic is "The Foods I Loved" and you know I'm going to have to talk about my Oma and her cooking. Her cooking is what I always consider "comfort food." Her food is what I always crave when I want something good. If I need Mexican food, hers is what satisfies the craving. As a matter of fact, Oma's cooking is what I craved when I was pregnant with Liv. Oma's cooking and tamales.

Oma has always had this amazing cooking. It was always homemade. It didn't matter if it was breakfast or dinner. 

But since breakfast is the first meal of the day, I will begin with a typical Oma breakfast. I am salivating, just thinking about it. She used to make huevos con chorizo for us sometimes - once a week, or sometimes even twice a week. Or more, if we asked her for it.

She had these great flour tortillas that she'd warm up on this round cast-iron thing on top of the gas burner. You could smell the flour tortillas warming up, with a warm, cozy, bready, flour-y scent wafting through the air. And the chorizo? It was the Mexican type, not the Spanish or Portuguese type (which was more of a hard salami type of sausage). The chorizo she used would come out of the casing before being cooked, and as it browned, would crumble like ground beef. It was the Peyton brand chorizo that apparently is only available in West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and a handful of military commissaries (which included Hanscom Air Force Base, where Andrew and I were stationed for 4 years).

And then you'd hear the sssssss of the chorizo links as they sizzled and browned in the skillet. This is when it started smelling divine. Mmmmm. Spicy (like cumin, not burn-your-mouth-with-chiles spicy), sausage-like, and mouth-watering.

While the chorizo was browning, you'd hear the tsk-tsk-tsk of Oma's fork as she whisked the eggs in a bowl. As soon as the chorizo was browned just right, she'd pour the whisked eggs into the skillet over the chorizo and begin to scramble them all together.

And then it was all ready. A heap of huevos con chorizo on your plate, flour tortilla folded in half on the side of the plate. Fork in hand, I remember scooping the huevos con chorizo into the unfolded, warmed flour tortilla, rolling it up into a burrito, and then taking a bite. Mmmmm. It was eggy, full-flavored (because of the chorizo), and full of carbs (the tortilla) to balance out the protein (and fat) from the eggs and chorizo.

This was pure breakfast heaven. And now I'm very hungry.

When I lived in Tucson and New Mexico (and when I realized I could get the same chorizo at the commissary in the Boston area),  I'd make huevos con chorizo, too. Sure, I watched her make this dish, and it tasted basically the same, but hers was always better. I think it's because, as she always says, she "made it with a lot of love."

Then there was lunch or dinner. She used to make cheese enchiladas on occasion, and while I loved her red sauce for its rich flavor and thought that her enchiladas were tasty, I found that they were a little heavy on the chopped onion (which she always kind of rough chopped - the onions were never really chopped finely enough) and I'd get heartburn. It was weird. I could always handle spicy food, but too much onion? My stomach and esophagus couldn't handle it.

My favorite lunch or dinner menu in Oma's repertoire? Homemade tacos and homemade beans. She told me step by step how to make her tacos, and while I tried to make them on occasion, they NEVER came out right. I'm not sure I had the technique just right.

Oma would brown ground beef, season them just right (salt, pepper, cumin), saute them with diced potatoes, and then stuff the mixture into corn tortillas (fried briefly in oil and then folded while still warm and malleable). At least, this is what I remember.

After assembling a bunch of tacos and setting them on a cookie sheet lined with foil, she'd stick them in the oven for a little while to make sure they were all warmed and hot enough to eat.

And the beans? Mmmm.

Making her world-famous beans was a process. Not hard - just time-consuming. She'd soak pinto beans overnight. The next day, she'd cook them in water seasoned with garlic salt and onion powder. When they were soft, she'd drain some water, saving some so that when she mashed the beans, they wouldn't get dried out. Then she'd brown some chorizo in a big skillet. When it was browned, she'd add the mashed beans and cook them all together so the flavors would blend. And then she'd add shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on the top.

Two or three tacos topped with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and a side of her world-famous beans. Oh, and her delicious rice. I have now idea how to make that. Note to self: get her rice recipe from her next time I see her.

So there it is. There are the the foods I loved growing up . . . and the foods I still love. And now I am hungry.

Okay, so I don't have any photos of my Oma while she's actually cooking something. But I have a number of photos of her, so I'm going to add a few here:
 

This photo was taken way before my time, but here's my Oma when she was a young woman.

Here's Oma at the Blue Ridge Circle house. This must've been in the early '70s - maybe '73?

My Uncle H. used to say this was Oma's "Ann Landers hairstyle." By the way, I don't know why/how the couch turned out that funky maroon color in the photo (it was actually an olive green), and how Oma's dress turned into such a vibrant purple. Ah, well. At least it's a great photo of her smiling.

So here I am with my Oma and Sir Rafa. We're not in El Paso, but we're together. I believe they were visiting us when we lived in Wilmette, IL.

Here's Oma and baby Livie in Oma's kitchen. This is in the beloved Mountain Walk Drive home in El Paso.

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After checking out today's other entries, be sure to come back next week when the Memory Lane Friday topic is "A Ceremony."