right now

right now

Apr 6, 2014

Not just a new chapter, but a whole new book!

I'm here.  I miss you all.  I miss myself.  I'm asking forgiveness for being a bad follower of all your wonderful blogs and posts!  I gave the blog a new look to reflect our current deployment :)  

Something happened today that really made me realize how much of an outlet blogging was for me.  I had a very long conversation via Facebook with another military spouse in another state whom I have never even met.  I helped her out with photos and ideas for her brand new garden.  I referred her to my blog for some photos of plants for beneficials and an hour later I started wondering why I stopped blogging.  I didn't have a good answer. I'd lost my passion for awhile I guess, or it just had to be put on the back burner for awhile.

The past year has been pretty stressful and packed full of change for me.  Not necessarily for our household, but for me definitely.  Hubby has been deployed a very long time, we are at 9 months now.  While not his longest yet, it is approaching that!  During that time my kids have grown, WOW have they grown.  I now have about one night a week that I'm not shuttling them somewhere or otherwise performing some function for their team sports or school activities.  My gardening has come to a complete halt as I start removing garden beds instead of creating, preparing for upcoming military orders and turning over our house as a rental home.  All being done alone, while we wait for the current deployment to end.  Dealing with a few other issues that have come up that I can't go into detail about now, suffice it to say this past year has been a real challenge financially, but a challenge I am prevailing over.  Details will follow on that in a few months but be assured nothing bad has happened to anyone in our family - everyone is healthy and happy in that regard :)  

Changes since I last checked in:

Loch has ditched the fiddle and now plays the cello.


Winter Swim Team finally ended, although Summer Team starts next month!


Where did those muscles come from?  Loch has "wings" now! 


Winter has been tough all over, but seriously…. Virginia Beach?!


The kids are now attending school on Saturdays making up for all the snow days.


I now have a new title:

There's a sport I never even really gave thought to.  When dad left it wasn't even in Finn's mind, but not only is he on a wrestling team now, he loves it.




Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone.  I rejoiced when swim team season was over and I no longer was a stroke and turn judge for every meet and could just fade into the background…. 

um, I decided the wrestling team needed a team photographer.  Uh, huh.

With some generous Christmas gift cards/cash from relatives, I decided to buy that dream camera and actually learn how to use it.  As if my goal of "not using the auto function" wasn't lofty enough - I pick fast moving kids in sports as my learning subject?  Clearly I am insane.  But fun-insane.

The last change for today is hubby actually getting to enjoy himself a little.  He had the good fortune to score a few weeks' worth of work off the ship in Saudi Arabia.  Enjoying himself immensely over a platter of goat with the locals, who were very hospitable.  My husband is never one to hide out and eat in a hotel room - he gets out, meets people and gets the full experience wherever he goes.



one more thing ...

We have big news.

We ARE moving.

To Maryland.

I'm pretty excited about it in spite of the cost of living and all the issues involved with our house and kids and schools and on and on.  

It's time.

I can't say when deployment ends, but it won't be much longer now.


I'm still here… and thinking of the big changes to come!

I feel kind of silly with a garden blog these days with no gardening going on, but I guess that's part of the "military homestead"… every now and then you gotta shut it down and carry it somewhere new and set it up all over again!

I love you all, I hope you are still there :)

28 comments:

  1. Just keep us in the loops. We've missed you, and want to know that things are going well, even if it does get challenging at times. Maybe next year you'll have time to garden again!

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    1. Thank you, and I sure hope I can garden again soon! Even if I have to garden vertically I am kind of looking forward to the challenge. I will miss my soil though... My soil is darn close to perfect here after 6 years of work!

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  2. I can't believe it. Are you really starting to blog again? Promise? You're not just teasing us? Have missed your posts so much and am thrilled to have you back on the scene. Big hugs to all of you!

    P.S. I think I recognize you and your hubby, but who the heck are those two big boys??!

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    1. They are huge! Loch is only about an inch shorter than me now! I just feel so boring without hauling in harvests and instead trying to downsize, but I guess I need to embrace that aspect of military life more. I got too comfortable in my garden here LOL. Miss you!

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  3. I'm glad to hear from you!

    I miss Saudi Arabia. I'm sure your husband's experience is quite different from mine, but it was certainly an interesting one for me.

    We're going to gardening events together, I hope you know, now that you're going to be right down the road from me!

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    1. Kenneth, we will be up in your neck of the woods! I think my husband is happy wherever as long as he is not on the ship LOL!

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  4. Welcome back!! Where in Maryland? Glad to hear all are upright and mobile. How is it that you look younger and the boys look older?

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    1. Cindy, thanks! We will be in southern MD, I'll post the specifics soon :) I only wish I looked younger LOL

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  5. I'm so glad to read you're all doing well. I was just thinking about you the other day. Your boys sure have grown since I last saw pictures. I'm glad to see they are both active and keeping you on your toes. I'm sure you'll find a way to garden after your move when you have more time. It's great to hear from you again.

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    1. Sparkless, I have "lost my spark" LOL. I know I will get a garden together up in MD, will be interesting to see how it goes

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  6. I have often wondered where you disappeared to. I can't believe how much the kids have grown. You're busier than ever. Good luck on the upcoming move. Can't wait to see the garden there. Yea--you'll get back to it!

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    1. Sue, I did disappear didn't I? I was swallowed up by life and none of it seemed very interesting without the garden spewing hundreds of pounds LOL

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  7. Welcome back, I missed you and your adventures a lot. You always have such a unique take on the world. Maryland! I'm glad we'll be going on in the experience with you. When you get settled again, look into container gardening. I just did a Master Gardening presentation on the ways to garden in small spaces in containers. You can still get your fingers dirty and raise good stuff, no matter how little space you have. I look forward to finding out how you roll in the new space.

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    1. thanks! I have dabbled a bit in containers for our MG program but honestly it wasn't worth it to me with the searing heat down here and constant watering… I will be 1 USDA clime up so maybe I will have better luck there :)

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    2. Check out the newer self watering containers. Start with Earthbox and then look for the ones you make yourself. You only have to water them once or twice a week. Nice.

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  8. It's good to hear from you and see you are all doing well. You are one busy mama, kudos to you for doing it all by yourself!! I hope your hubby will be home soon and your move will go smoothly!!

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    1. Anke, this deployment has been the worst so far I think in terms of just seeming never-ending. I thought after so many years I had this down, but the boys are a handful at this age!

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  9. You have been missed! Good luck with your move.

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    1. Thanks Gran! I'm not excited about leaving the house as a rental but I admit I'm excited for some change.

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  10. Good to hear from you. I missed reading your blog. Yea you'll be closer to Delaware (maybe). I am a wrestling Mom and that is a sport I love. I managed in high school and all 3 boys wrestled since they could walk. Gardening will always be there when you get settled. You'll find a way. Keep in touch if you can.

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    1. Lisa, what I have learned so far in wrestling is that I like it! My older son rolls his eyes when I ask if he wants to wrestle LOL… I think he will stick with swimming and track! It will be nice to have my husband home so we can split sports duties :)

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  11. We have missed you. I work at the base and live in Hampton, so I love to keep in touch with local gardeners / or folks. We face the same weather and bugs. Hope you can plant a little when you reach your new home. Are you guys going to settle in Va Beach when the hubbs hangs up his anchors? Hope you will. Keep in touch even if you just post "still here"

    Frank From Virginia

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    1. Hi Frank! I'm pretty sure we are headed north when we are done with the Navy, but also sure we will be back after this tour in MD for a few years. I am kind of surprised by how much this place has grown on me, I've actually lived here off and on since '89! Matter of fact I was born here as well LOL.

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  12. Welcome back! I rarely blog anymore either but I always check and see what everyone else has written. So glad to hear what you all have been up to. Sounds like you have an exciting adventure in the near future! Keep us posted!

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    1. I will definitely keep checking in Melissa, I really do miss it, and hopefully I will have a bit more time for my own "stuff" once hubby gets home and can take the boys out of my hair for awhile. Might not be daily, but I'd like to shoot for twice a week :)

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  13. OMG! I am so glad to have you back - and I cannot believe how much the boys have grown! We are slowly and surely getting you up north (as they say). So very glad you are "back".

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    1. Susan, Loch is only about an inch shorter than I am now! We wear the same shoe size now so I guess I will buy him nicer flip flops this summer so I can wear them too LOL

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  14. It's so great that you are blogging again! I slowed down with blogging for a bit after losing my garden, but now I'm been blogging more frequently again. I've been so bad with reading blogs, and I realized I missed it. Glad to see you're back too!

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