Tame as a lion

I'm pretty timid when it comes to defending myself. I tend to let things slide. BUT when it comes to my family or people that I love I can turn into this ferocious lion. I will rip your windpipe out.

I like to tell the story of this one time my Mom hosted a coffee. She had set up the house, cleaned the place, baked, cooked, and slaved away making food for this Army spouses coffee. This particular Generals wife came over, didn't say anything nice to my mother about how the house looked, or the effort she put into it. She didn't eat a thing, but she also didn't make an excuse like, "oh I'm just so full I ate right before I came, or I'm not feeling too well I don't have an appetite but thank you it all looks delicious." As a 9th grader those are the kind of things I know to say if I had not wanted to eat anything. Be polite and courteous. I don't understand where this woman lost her manners at 40-something years old.

After the coffee my sister and I came down from our confinement upstairs to help clean up and of course to eat some of the left over desserts. We asked our Mom how it went and she said fairly well except this one particular woman and made her feel bad. (I've always had a close relationship with my mom so it wasn't out of the ordinary that she share these types of things with me.) She then explained how rude she was and how she felt she'd gone through all this effort and was snubbed.

I  was a scrawny freshmen in  high school, barely breaking 100 pounds, but I marched out of that house ready to confront this woman. Mom had to run down the street to catch me, (the lady lived just down the block...I only had a few more houses to go). Now I don't know what I really would have done had I been allowed to knock on her door, but I can tell you I was muttering, "I'm going to bitch-slap that lady." See the thing is you don't mess with my family. Mess with me (not really because my sister will get you) but don't mess with my family and the other people I love that aren't related. This woman is now and forever will be known as, "BSL (bitch slap lady)." She's still around now a days and she's gotten older but so have I and I could totally take her on.

Crab Dip and Meatballs

This past weekend my roommate and I threw a housewarming party so our friends could come over and see our place, drink some (a lot) of wine, and mingle with each other. We played Cranium, and I'm thinking that it may not be the best game to play when you're 3 glasses deep of Riesling. The boys that decided to play got really into and and sadly kicked the girls' butts.

It was also a great chance to get to know some new friends better, and to catch up with some old ones.

Everyone got to meet Dave too and scope him out. The conscensus of the group was that he was a fun guy and seemed to compliment me well. There may have been dancing in the kitchen and him dealing with my I may have had too much wineness. It was a nice time and I'm hoping I didn't stress Dave or Jess out too much with all my planning and bossiness. I'm realizing more and more now that I'm older and back out on my own that I've completely turned into my father. Sitting on the couch watching TV the other day I kept looking over at the dining room table...I could just SEE all the dust that was being highlighted by the light coming in from the window. I had to dust before I could relax. Terrible. Even the night of the party in my drunken stupor I cleaned up, and put things into containers...and STILL dreamed I left the crab dip out on the counter.

It was a fun time and I can't wait for it to get hot out so we can bbq by the pool. I swear I'll be better then..chips, hot dogs, hamburger, beer...done. No planning needed.

Come In

The great thing about growing up as an Army brat and moving so often is that I can make any space a home in a short period of time…like really short. My room was all put together by 5 pm on moving day; complete with shelves hung, decorated and all my stuff put away. I moved into my new apartment on Wednesday and it already feels like home.

My roommate, Jess, and I tackled what we wanted to be the collage wall last night. And because I'm turning into my father, a laser level and measuring tape were involved in the process. We went with the whole no method to our madness look, and I must tell you I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The great thing about this wall is that we can add to it throughout the year and we won't have to worry about sticking with the theme or getting the right sized picture frame. It's eclectic and there is no right or wrong about it. My sister took the majority of these pictures and I must praise her talent. Thank you so much Katie...they're beautiful and so are you. It turned out better than I imagined!

I'm getting used to the set up of my room and my closets (yes closets...plural...I have TWO!!!) This morning I got up and threw back the blankets the way I normally would but then realized that side was facing the wall and I should get up on the other side of the bed that faces the bathroom. Then after my shower (in my HUGE bathroom...seriously you could do cartwheels in there if you were so inclined) I tried to figure out whether I should go out and get dressed or stay in the bathroom and blow dry my hair. Such tough decisions, my life is so hard. It's getting used to something new and developing a routine; and I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way to go about it.

Come on in. Would you like a glass of wine?

Home

It's been a year since my return to the nest.

It's been a great year. There has been heartache and learning. There's been growth; I've found strength I didn't even know I had.  I got the chance to get closer to my parents, especially to develop a better relationship with my Dad.

The thing with moving home is that it's never the same…you're not the same. I came home older, with my feet wet with the waters of the world. I came home having lived on my own for 5 years. I came home an independent woman trying to transition back into my parent's house, living under their roof with their rules. They were very open and understanding of the fact that I was an adult coming home and they treated me that way. I know my dad especially tried really hard to not use his "dad voice" or tell me what to do. It took some adjustment but I settled in pretty quickly and I feel that I was respectful and they in turn were too.

 Moving out is bitter sweet. As excited as I am to be out on my own again, I'm sort of sad to leave. I've loved having my parents there for me after a bad day. I've loved dancing and jumping around the kitchen with my mom when we're excited about things. I've loved the quality one on one time with my dad that I never really had before. I love Bella. I love that every morning she butts her head against my door and barges in, thumping her tail against my bed, and attempting to lick my face. I love the daily reminder that two people love me unconditionally, that they believe in me, and their support is never ending. 

I'm moving close enough that I'll continue to go to the church we all go to and have Sunday lunch together. I'm sure I'll need my Bella fix too. And if it's been too long since I've seen them they can always entice me to come over with schnitzel night!

So thank you mom and dad…and I'm keeping my key. But I'll call before I come over just in case it becomes a clothing optional house once I leave.

The love of a family is life's greatest blessing