Half a life: Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri

Great song. Sadly, I can relate.

Something to light up you day from the un-privatized albums of Facebook

A perfect example of how Facebook has enriched my life

Yes, I'm back on the juice. Facebook (FB) is the devil. Thanks in part to all my friends who love seeing pics and don't like me not having a FB. Yes, I might even submit this to Awkward Family Photos. On second thought, I doubt anyone would believe them to be a legitimate family.

Whirlwind

My trip stateside encompassed three beautiful states: TN, AL, and FL. The wedding was wonderful. Really glad that I was able to be a part of it. The toast went well, too. I almost forgot to say toast at the end of the speech and was in the process of sitting down, but my sister reminded me to. Oopps, classic.

Adams, known for its Bell Witch and YWAM. A quaint Tennessee town.

Nashville, the "Batman" tower is my favorite building...

Destin, this view always gets me. I love seeing the sand dunes on 98. Beautiful!

Dothan, this city is the quite the belle of the ball. If I have not seen southern, then I don't think I ever will. Fields blooming with cotton, ripe for the pickin' and rows upon rows of peanut plants waiting to be harvested. Dothan is the home of the National Peanut Festival. These people love their peanuts!

The best thing about being "home" again is seeing all the people around the world who love me. Chatting again and catching up on where each person is currently in their lives has been a lot of fun.

Well, I must go an enjoy the sunlight and heat before I head back home. It might even be possible to obtain a sunburn in this weather. Just gorgeous!

Matron of Honor

Check out those cute shoes and minis!

Well, it is official. I'm an old fart. I will be the matron of honor in my best friend's wedding. Don't get me wrong, I am honored and am extremely enthused that I was chosen, but the title makes me laugh. Every time I hear "matron of honor", I automatically add 15 years to the bearer of said title. In my mind, I associate the titles with age, not marital status. Is it okay to think of myself as the maid of honor?

The wedding promises to be just as unique and unforgettable as the bride and groom. Looking forward to seeing my besties' creativity displayed in full force. I only hope that I can come up with a toast that is worthy of her.

Grease

My friend and I were able to hop down to London for the day. The highlight of our adventure was seeing Grease at the Piccadilly theatre. We had seats in the front row. It was amazing.

Now I am hooked. Looking forward to seeing the next musical. There are so many in London, can't wait.

Oh, Chuey: the escapades of a Gooldendoodle Puppy

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of watching my friend's goldendoodle puppy, Chuey. What a cutie. Yes, he is a "designer dog" a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle. He does not shed which is very nice. Chuey has an extremely soft, fleecy coat, which attracts all elements of filth, which is expounded upon by the fact that he is a puppy. We had quite the adventure this weekend. It made me understand three things: why my friend is always bathing the handsome boy, why water bowls are rationed, and the reason outside access is denied while mom and dad are away. The mature, adult dogs I normally watch don't find pleasure in the things little Chuey does.

To kick off the weekend Chuey went out in the rain, which he loves, and became wet. He then sat on a bright red folder. This did not seem like a problem, until I noticed he was sitting on the folder and made him get up. Then I noticed Chuey's fleecy coat was stained red. This sparked cleaning session #1.

Later that day, Chuey discovered the free water bowl in the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen to check on him I discovered him sitting with his face and paw in the water dish with puddles of water over the entire floor. Thankfully the kitchen floor is laminate. This solved the mystery of the rationed water instantly.

In an effort to give the Chewster a trial run of entrusting him with the privilege of being allowed to roam free in the garden, I jimmied his crate between the sliding doors so he had an outside option and an inside option. Upon my return I was greeted by this pathetically guilty face and the chaos only a retriever puppy could create. This is what I found:

Mud was everywhere. He made a game out of his water bowls and joyously played in them. Chuey somehow managed to splash mud all over the side of my house and splatter mud 6 feet into the air unto my windows.

Chewy had a wonderful romp in the garden and enjoyed himself. He failed the trial run and confirmed mom and dad always know best. Chuey wins the prize, by a long shot, for being able to create the biggest mess. The other dogs might have dug a hole or two, but never had enough creativity to add water to the mix. Maybe most dogs appreciate enjoy being mud free. It might have been the last home alone garden adventure young Chuey will experience, but he sure did live it up. This inevitably launched cleaning event #2. Chewster's poor face was slathered with mud. His velcro-like fur begrudgingly gave up the mud particles to the soap and water. Never thought I would bathe a dog so long, but I managed to get his coat back to spotless and I was beginning to understand the numerous bathing spells.

That is not even the end of the story, on the final day I left Chuey in the kitchen, never to repeat my previous mistakes. I left him a bone and a toy. This is harmless, right? When I came back I discovered he had somehow managed to get bits of the rawhide all over his paws and face. I marched the Chewster right upstairs for scrubbing #3.  His mom and dad returned to a clean, white puppy.

This weekend was a lot of fun, it opened my eyes to how playful and spirited puppies are in comparison to adult dogs and their mature dispositions. My experience also helped me understand that there was a reason to the madness of my friend's water rationing, house quarantine, and endless baths. Puppies require a lot more work than dogs but it is worth the effort because they are cute and it is humorous to see all of the inconceivable trouble they manage to find.

Only a Matter of Time

Since the war began in full force, and even prior, I have had the luxury of not personally knowing anyone who died for the cause of freedom, in spite of growing up in a military family and knowing many people in dangerous careers and having been on numerous deployments. It is not as if I don't ever hear of anyone passing away, I just don't know them.

Recently, there has been losses in my community. I still don't know them personally, but my friends do. This is the closest death has even been to me in my experience with the military. It is unsettling, but what is even more unsettling is the seemingly certainty of one day losing someone who I do know and consider a friend. I just pray that God will give me strength for when that day comes.

God be with the families and loved ones of friends who have lost those who are dear to them. Thank you for our freedom and their sacrifice. Freedom is never free.