As another Memorial Day Weekend comes to an end, my heart feels happy and full.
Hubs and I were able to make it down to Louisiana to spend a bit of much needed time with some of my family. The once hop-skip-and-4-hour-jump from Houston to Lafayette is now an Oh my God, are we there YET? seven hour drive from Killeen. Needless to say, it has become a little harder to make it back home as much as I'd like. We were able to have a crawfish boil, boat in the Atchafalaya Swamp (where I turned as red as the crawfish that I ate the night before), attend a benefit concert to raise money for Mickey Shunick (see my last post), and I was able to love on my sweet little godchild. It was a fantastic weekend!
Like many Americans, I am reminded today of the many men and women who have fought to protect the peace in our country so that we are able to enjoy these beautiful moments. And being a military family, we can't help but be extra grateful.
Personally, as much as I am proud of being an American, becoming an Army wife was not something that I had ever thought would be a possibility. It's not an easy task. First and foremost, I am not a political person. I can't classify myself as a Republican or Democrat and if "Hippie" were a Political Party, I'd probably classify myself under that option. Political corruption disgusts me, I want World Peace more than anything, and I think that if our leaders would just "hug it out" every now and then, there would be a lot less killing. Secondly, I had to make peace with the fact that the love of my life would leave me from time to time and be put into situations that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. And lastly, my absolute worst nightmare, knowing that my love and all of our friends who are sent into these horrible situations have a possibility of not returning. As much as I love my husband, this was something that I didn't know I could handle.
Love makes you a lot stronger than you ever thought possible. It also aids in making sacrifices a lot easier to deal with. As much as I hate knowing that my husband, the man that makes my world complete, does have the possiblity of getting deployed again, I am willing to share him with the country that I love.
All of this is just to say, how VERY grateful I am for those who have sacrificed for our country. I know that it is not an easy task. The men and women who have fought and not made it home. The loved ones who were not able to attend the coming home ceremony that they imagined while their soldier was gone. The soldiers who have been deployed time and time again and handled it with grace and dignity, regardless of how hard it is to be deployed. And the girlfriends, wives, and families who are left behind, holding down the fort at home, patiently (and at times, not so patiently) waiting...
If you see a soldier, give them a hug!!! :) Or, at least, give them a heartfelt, "Thanks!"
My special thanks: to my amazing husband, who has been deployed to Iraq three different times and remains to be the most wonderful man that I have ever met. To our grandfathers, who are both gone but not forgetten, and who have both served. To my stepbrother who fought in Afghanistan. And a very special thanks to all of the amazing soldiers that have protected, fought with, and celebrated with my love and have become my own very good friends. There are not enough words to express my gratitude.
Happy Memorial Day
Dee :)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Missing Girl...
I had a few lighter topics that I wanted to write about for a fun Friday post but there is an issue going on that has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart...
I am a proud Cajun woman from Lafayette, LA. No matter where my journey takes me, Lafayette will always be my home. It is known for it's excellent cuisine, original music, and amiable people. We love our Saints, proud of our heritage, and when a crisis arises, we rise up and come together as a community. It is a truly, beautiful place to call home.
As of right now, Lafayette is dealing with a crisis. We have lost one of our girls. Since last Saturday, Micky Shunick has completely vanished. No one knows anything about her whereabouts.
I have never met her or her family. I haven't lived in Lafayette for nearly six years. I may seem a little silly posting this because I have no idea who reads this blog... but as a proud former member of this community, I just had to help in spreading the word.
Yesterday, while perusing the internet and seeing all of the sites that mention Mickey, I came across a radio interview with her sister. Her sister made a plea to anyone that knows ANYTHING to please let them know so that she could find her sister.
This absolutely broke my heart and had me in tears. Anyone who knows me, knows that my sister is my world. She is my rock and my best friend and I know that if she went missing, I would go through Hell and back to find her. So, please, take a look at the links, look at the pictures, post, forward, do what you can... because someone has to know SOMETHING about this poor girl.
Hug your loved ones and thank the Lord for them. I know that this is exactly what I will do tonight.
Much love-
Dee
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Monk's Message
This past fall, I spent three months in Thailand. For some reason, there is one part of that trip that my mind keeps revisiting. It wasn't the time spent partying in Bangkok, or the thousands of miles motor-bike trip across Northern Thailand, or even the weeks that I spent island-hopping in South Thailand. I keep thinking about the two weeks that were spent at a meditation course.
When I first thought about attending a meditation course, I got so excited! Ooooo... a Mediation Course! How very Eat, Pray, Love!!! I imagined myself to be just like Elizabeth Gilbert: a world traveler who was taking time out of my busy, chaotic, American life to find inner peace, wearing all white, sitting in a perfect meditation pose, with my mind thinking nothing but om...
Ha.
Yeah.
Right.
I had never realized how incredibly difficult clearing my mind could be. Or how hard it would be to deal with my own thoughts... every second of every minute of every hour of every day... for TWO-WHOLE-WEEKS.
I would sit and try to shut my mind off and it would not work. I would prep myself and give myself pep-talks. "Okay, Dee, you can do this! You just have to clear your mind... think about nothing... absolutely noth--- Oh man... getting a cramp... I guess that's why all these Buddhists do Yoga... and I guess that's why they are so skinny... Even though they eat a lot of rice... How do they stay so skinny by eating all of that rice??? Oh crap! Meditation... Okay, you can seriously do it this time!"
I would look at a fellow meditation student who was so perfectly peaceful and I would get so envious. Her posture was perfect, she looked serene, and her white clothes never got dirty.
Meditation is hard.
But, regardless of this struggle, my absolute favorite part of the entire course was waking up at 5:00 a.m., groggily putting on my white attire, walking up a steep hill in chilly mountain air, seating myself in lotus position, and listening to the cutest and wisest monk that I have ever met. Despite the fact that it takes me forever to wake up without coffee, the minute that he would start talking, I would be alert and hooked onto every word that he said. He would tell stories about events that happened to him and people that he knew and even with our cultural differences, all of his lessons seemed to strike a chord with me.
There was one lesson that has stayed with me and this is the one that keeps replaying in my head. He talked about how nothing in life is permanent; everything changes. I didn't know how to take this at first. Nothing is permanent; everything changes. Obviously this makes sense. But the thought that maybe something like love is not permanent was slightly disconcerting to me. So, I listened as he explained it even further.
He mentioned that love was, in fact, impermanent. A mother's love is not the same as the day she finds out that she is pregnant. It grows every day that her child grows. The love of a couple does not stay the same. As the couple experiences life together and goes through good and bad times, the love changes. It can become stronger with time and as we all know, sometimes it can fall apart. Nothing is permanent, everything changes.
He talked about good times. We love those good times and wish that we could hold onto them and make them last forever. And as much as we hate the fact that the good times are impermanent, it is such a relief when you think about the bad times and that they, too, will flee.
During this lesson, I couldn't help but be amazed! Wow! If I could train my brain to think this way, how much more would I enjoy my life??? To truly enjoy EACH good moment, and hold onto it, and squeeze every ounce of beautiful sparkle that it has... because it won't always be there. And for each moment that is hard and trying, to know that this moment will pass... eventually... no matter how long it takes... and I'll be a stronger, healthier, and better person because of it. Maybe it would help eliminate worrying about the silly things in life that don't really matter.
I still have so much work to do with this lesson but his message was just too good not to share.
- Dee :)
When I first thought about attending a meditation course, I got so excited! Ooooo... a Mediation Course! How very Eat, Pray, Love!!! I imagined myself to be just like Elizabeth Gilbert: a world traveler who was taking time out of my busy, chaotic, American life to find inner peace, wearing all white, sitting in a perfect meditation pose, with my mind thinking nothing but om...
Ha.
Yeah.
Right.
I had never realized how incredibly difficult clearing my mind could be. Or how hard it would be to deal with my own thoughts... every second of every minute of every hour of every day... for TWO-WHOLE-WEEKS.
I would sit and try to shut my mind off and it would not work. I would prep myself and give myself pep-talks. "Okay, Dee, you can do this! You just have to clear your mind... think about nothing... absolutely noth--- Oh man... getting a cramp... I guess that's why all these Buddhists do Yoga... and I guess that's why they are so skinny... Even though they eat a lot of rice... How do they stay so skinny by eating all of that rice??? Oh crap! Meditation... Okay, you can seriously do it this time!"
I would look at a fellow meditation student who was so perfectly peaceful and I would get so envious. Her posture was perfect, she looked serene, and her white clothes never got dirty.
Meditation is hard.
But, regardless of this struggle, my absolute favorite part of the entire course was waking up at 5:00 a.m., groggily putting on my white attire, walking up a steep hill in chilly mountain air, seating myself in lotus position, and listening to the cutest and wisest monk that I have ever met. Despite the fact that it takes me forever to wake up without coffee, the minute that he would start talking, I would be alert and hooked onto every word that he said. He would tell stories about events that happened to him and people that he knew and even with our cultural differences, all of his lessons seemed to strike a chord with me.
There was one lesson that has stayed with me and this is the one that keeps replaying in my head. He talked about how nothing in life is permanent; everything changes. I didn't know how to take this at first. Nothing is permanent; everything changes. Obviously this makes sense. But the thought that maybe something like love is not permanent was slightly disconcerting to me. So, I listened as he explained it even further.
He mentioned that love was, in fact, impermanent. A mother's love is not the same as the day she finds out that she is pregnant. It grows every day that her child grows. The love of a couple does not stay the same. As the couple experiences life together and goes through good and bad times, the love changes. It can become stronger with time and as we all know, sometimes it can fall apart. Nothing is permanent, everything changes.
He talked about good times. We love those good times and wish that we could hold onto them and make them last forever. And as much as we hate the fact that the good times are impermanent, it is such a relief when you think about the bad times and that they, too, will flee.
During this lesson, I couldn't help but be amazed! Wow! If I could train my brain to think this way, how much more would I enjoy my life??? To truly enjoy EACH good moment, and hold onto it, and squeeze every ounce of beautiful sparkle that it has... because it won't always be there. And for each moment that is hard and trying, to know that this moment will pass... eventually... no matter how long it takes... and I'll be a stronger, healthier, and better person because of it. Maybe it would help eliminate worrying about the silly things in life that don't really matter.
I still have so much work to do with this lesson but his message was just too good not to share.
- Dee :)
My favorite monk and I :)
Monday, May 21, 2012
Home Improvement
The hippest and hottest spot for Summer 2012 just opened up! It is... our backyard.
I know, I know... Last week, I was bragging about how my husband and I love our adventures and have them quite often. We rarely are at home and when we are, it's usually during the week because we are too dang tired from our crazy, busy weekends. So... our backyard???
Let me explain...
A few weeks ago, Hubs and I were relaxing on our sofa, just flipping through the channels, when we saw that 17 Again was on. Now, if you have never seen it, it's with Zac Efron... and the whole point of the movie is meaningless because any movie with Zac Efron is enjoyable because he is just HOT. I'm sorry. I know that he is probably ten years younger than me... but seriously, the boy is good looking. (Let me just clarify that he, of course, is not as hot as my husband whom I adore and will probably read this later. ;) I digress.
There's a scene in the movie when the mom completely renovates her back yard by adding twinkle lights, a few trees, and some dirt...thanks Hollywood for making it look so easy. But immediately, Hubs and I had the same thought: We could totally do that!
As much as we'd love to buy our own home, we are currently renting since the military is planning on moving us and making me a California girl in the near future. Regardless of the fact that this house is just temporary, I still firmly believe that we should do whatever we can in making it our home.
So, we came up with a plan to create our own little outdoor bistro. I honestly, couldn't be happier with the way that it turned out. There's still a few things that I'd like to do, such as: plant flowers, get a lime tree so that we can have fresh margaritas this summer (because ladies, you know that it's all about the cocktails), and add some kind of water feature (I doubt that this one will happen but I can still dream, can't I?).
I know, I know... Last week, I was bragging about how my husband and I love our adventures and have them quite often. We rarely are at home and when we are, it's usually during the week because we are too dang tired from our crazy, busy weekends. So... our backyard???
Let me explain...
A few weeks ago, Hubs and I were relaxing on our sofa, just flipping through the channels, when we saw that 17 Again was on. Now, if you have never seen it, it's with Zac Efron... and the whole point of the movie is meaningless because any movie with Zac Efron is enjoyable because he is just HOT. I'm sorry. I know that he is probably ten years younger than me... but seriously, the boy is good looking. (Let me just clarify that he, of course, is not as hot as my husband whom I adore and will probably read this later. ;) I digress.
There's a scene in the movie when the mom completely renovates her back yard by adding twinkle lights, a few trees, and some dirt...thanks Hollywood for making it look so easy. But immediately, Hubs and I had the same thought: We could totally do that!
As much as we'd love to buy our own home, we are currently renting since the military is planning on moving us and making me a California girl in the near future. Regardless of the fact that this house is just temporary, I still firmly believe that we should do whatever we can in making it our home.
So, we came up with a plan to create our own little outdoor bistro. I honestly, couldn't be happier with the way that it turned out. There's still a few things that I'd like to do, such as: plant flowers, get a lime tree so that we can have fresh margaritas this summer (because ladies, you know that it's all about the cocktails), and add some kind of water feature (I doubt that this one will happen but I can still dream, can't I?).
Even if none of these elements get added, it's amazing what a few little strands of lights can do. I don't know if it was the ambiance that was created by the twinkling lights or the fact that we did this project together to improve our home but we ended up staying out until three o'clock in the morning talking, laughing, and drinking wine. In my book, that makes this project a success!
-Dee :)
Before and after pics for your viewing pleasure :)
Before: Blah... So boring! We hardly ever went out back...
Me attempting to tie up the lights with one of my nifty knots that I learned while being a Wilderness Camp Instructor...
I just love a man that knows how to drill... (get your minds out of the gutter, people!)
Enjoying our hard work!
Dobs loved it, too!
And no bistro is complete without some vino...
Guess what I'll be doing when I get home... ;) Happy Monday!!!
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Ticking Clock...
As I am rapidly approaching the dreaded age of 30, there are moments when I still feel like that young girl that I was at 18. The girl with all kinds of hopes and dreams and questions about myself, life, and the future. I realize that 30 is not the end-all... but it DOES mean that I am approaching a point in my life where there is no question about it: I am truly, 100%, an adult.
Can someone please tell me: When in the hell did this happen?
My parents (and society) would probably argue that I have, in fact, been an adult for the past 10 years. I beg to differ. Here's how I justify it:
There's so much of that young girl stuff that I still need to do and I feel that clock ticking! I have traveled overseas only once and have a number of countries yet to see. Tick... I haven't gotten my masters yet or figured out what I really want to do when I grow up (even though I have been a teacher for the past five years and for the most part, have truly loved it). Tick... I have still yet to bungee jump... tick... and scuba dive... tick... and run a marathon... tick... and do all of those amazing and adventurous things that my body is slowly starting to reject and having a very difficult time recovering from....tick, tick, tick....
And to top off all the young girl stuff that I still want, there are the few factors where age is REALLY taking it's toll. The ten pounds that are harder to get off. The few grey hairs that I'd laugh about when I was 20 have multiplied and are very carefully taken care of with highlights. That stupid wrinkle that is wedged in between my eyebrows is now accompanied by lines around my eyes that I franticly try to hydrate and moisturize. And of course, the hugest clock that there is: the fact that I am nearing 30 and have yet to have a baby... Goodness gracious! The wrinkle lines alone make aging stressful!
Despite all of the negative, there is, of course, the positive, which outweighs it all... even the deepest laugh line. With this approaching age, I have found peace and contentment within myself that I didn't even know could exist. A large part of it is owed to the amazing man that is my husband but I also think that the years of experience and soul searching and just LIFE in general have finally paid off and taught me the many lessons that I needed to learn.
All of this is just to say: there is so much that is to come, especially in the near future for me and the hubs, so I guess that is the whole point of this blog- to document those changes and my crazy way of dealing with them. It's exciting and scary and unknown but I have so much love around me that I know that each second that ticks away on my clock may not always be perfect but it will be dynamic.
- Dee :)
Can someone please tell me: When in the hell did this happen?
My parents (and society) would probably argue that I have, in fact, been an adult for the past 10 years. I beg to differ. Here's how I justify it:
- Years 18 through 23- At the time, I was, of course, excited with my new found freedom, ability to vote and
drinklegally drink, and pretty much the fact that my parents couldn't tell me what to do. But, let's face it. While you are in your early 20s, you aren't REALLY an adult. Going to college and having the ability to make really bad choices, as life-lesson-learning as they may be, does not constitute adult-hood. It's mass chaos. You are just a super-hyped-up kid running wildly on the playground with no parental supervision. - Years 23 through 26- Avoided being classified as a true grown-up by packing up all of my things, leaving my very small Cajun town in Louisiana where I grew up, and moving to the massive city of Houston (it was massive to this small-town girl). Yes, moving may be an adult-like thing to do but the combination of fun, falling in love, making bad decisions, heartache, and wine consumed with friends may have aged me a bit but kept me from feeling like I was a grown up, simply because I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Mid-20s are HARD... just sayin.
- Years 26 and 27- I think my adult-hood journey digressed a bit. While my love was in Iraq, I moved out of my apartment and became a nomad, living with my boyfriend's mom for three months, sleeping on my sister and her boyfriend's couch for three months, and traveling through Thailand for another three months. I was a kid in a candy store.
- Year 28... Here I am now. About two months from 29 and on the brink of 30. Finally, married to an amazing man who makes me happier than I have ever been before and despite the fact that we have adventures on a weekly basis, we both feel our years creeping up on us.
There's so much of that young girl stuff that I still need to do and I feel that clock ticking! I have traveled overseas only once and have a number of countries yet to see. Tick... I haven't gotten my masters yet or figured out what I really want to do when I grow up (even though I have been a teacher for the past five years and for the most part, have truly loved it). Tick... I have still yet to bungee jump... tick... and scuba dive... tick... and run a marathon... tick... and do all of those amazing and adventurous things that my body is slowly starting to reject and having a very difficult time recovering from....tick, tick, tick....
And to top off all the young girl stuff that I still want, there are the few factors where age is REALLY taking it's toll. The ten pounds that are harder to get off. The few grey hairs that I'd laugh about when I was 20 have multiplied and are very carefully taken care of with highlights. That stupid wrinkle that is wedged in between my eyebrows is now accompanied by lines around my eyes that I franticly try to hydrate and moisturize. And of course, the hugest clock that there is: the fact that I am nearing 30 and have yet to have a baby... Goodness gracious! The wrinkle lines alone make aging stressful!
Despite all of the negative, there is, of course, the positive, which outweighs it all... even the deepest laugh line. With this approaching age, I have found peace and contentment within myself that I didn't even know could exist. A large part of it is owed to the amazing man that is my husband but I also think that the years of experience and soul searching and just LIFE in general have finally paid off and taught me the many lessons that I needed to learn.
All of this is just to say: there is so much that is to come, especially in the near future for me and the hubs, so I guess that is the whole point of this blog- to document those changes and my crazy way of dealing with them. It's exciting and scary and unknown but I have so much love around me that I know that each second that ticks away on my clock may not always be perfect but it will be dynamic.
- Dee :)
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