Proctor & Gamble and Thanksgiving

I was at the commissary, my least favorite place, getting Thanksgiving dinner and some cereal before my kids revolt over the lack of breakfast options. It was actually a good trip for once. No meltdowns or crying or screaming, and Beks was pretty good too, hee hee. Anyway, I was checking my list and making sure I had found every coupon I could before getting in line when this vendor comes up and asks if I'm shopping for Thanksgiving. I looked at the 17 pound bird in the top of my cart and just smiled and said yes. Then he asks if I would like a turkey for free courtesy of P&G. Well, who wouldn't, but what do I have buy in order to get said bird?

Nothing.

Excuse me?

Nothing, we would just like to thank our military families. Uh, yes please. So he brings me a 15ish pound Butterball and wishes us a Happy Thanksgiving. I said thank you, while trying not to cry, and headed for the line.


WOW.


I'm not sure who or why, but I saw him heading over to another mom as I was heading to a cashier. All I know, is God is amazing. Ben and I are both a little stressed about this move. Not that we aren't excited, but Rising View flat out told us that we have to pay for December even though that was well beyond 30 days notice, so basically this month and next we are making 3 house payments each. Our mortgae in TX, rent for military housing, a down this month and the first month's rent next month. Added to tires for Ben's car, all three kid's birthdays, and Christmas- like I said stressed.


So last night, I couldn't sleep. I was trying not to worry but I was, I'm not going to lie. So I prayed. I didn't ask God for more or to make up the difference, I thanked Him for what we have. I thanked Him that we can make those payments, and celebrate birthdays, and still feed our children. I thanked Him that I am worrying because we have the choice between two houses, instead of worrying where our children will sleep tonight. I thanked HIM. Then I prayed that I would be more mindful of our blessings, because sometimes I lose sight of them. I prayed that I would be a bit more dsciplined with our income and careful with our gifts, becasue sometimes I'm not. I finally fell asleep after 2ish, and I went to sleep determind not to worry, but to be disciplined and frugal. And I was both at the commissary.

So I want to take this opportunity to put in a shameless plug for P&G, makers of Pampers, Swiffer, Dawn, Tide, Bounce, Always, Tampax, etc. and thank them for blessing this military family. And I want to thank God for reminding me to STOP worrying, he's got it all under control, and for showing me that he really does use anyone who is willing.


Oh, and before I forget (because I have been forgetting), Thanskgiving dinner will be served around 4 at our house. Please, please, please, if I haven't already contacted you (especially any deployed spouses), know that everyone is welcome. My brain has only partially recovered from school so I'm sure I have missed people, but come on over. I don't want to hear that anyone didn't have a place to go.

The end.

Fall classes ended last night for me, thank God. I am exhausted. I took a full course load this term, and it was a lot. I am scaling back to half-time for the winter session since we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, all three of my kid's birthdays, and we are going on a cruise towards the end of term.

This term was an adventure. I have been taking all online courses until this fall. I like the online courses. I like the annonimity and working at my own pace. I took math online which was, again, no sweat for me. I got an A in the class. The overall class average was a low 'C' which seriously frightens me.

My English class this term was more challenging than last term. It was also online and we had to write a 10-15 page research paper in proper MLA format over the course of the term. It didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought, but it was stressful. I now know I was never meant to be a researcher, historian, or fact checker. But I think it turned out well. I had an 'A' average before the final paper grade. I got docked on my rough draft for some MLA errors and a weak conclusion. I am confident I fixed those things, and now I am just waiting on my final grade.

My last class I took at an actual campus, and that was an adventure. I decided to take creative writing, and I was really excited about the class too-until I got there. Our instructor was...different and the class was eclectic, lets say. I had a hard time with this class. I have OCD as you all know, so being in a class where there was no 'right' or 'wrong' was making me twitch. Except there sort of was because the instructor had some definite opinions about what made good writing. Let's just say that our ideas of good writing was nowhere close to each other's. He abhors rhyming, love, emotions, dragons, space, cliches, morals, and anything that is 'traditional' poetry. He loves poems about vomit, sex, drunkenness, other bodily functions, and death. By the end of the class I was pretty sure if I heard the words 'concrete' or 'specific' again I was going to scream-and I was going to make it rhyme. But, I did have a good time. I think I learned a few things. The challenge was good for me and I was pleased with my final portfolio overall. So I will leave you with a sampling of my work. The haikus were sort of a class joke. We tried to sneak them, and dragons and space, in to irritate the teacher. Enjoy.

Pretty Boy

You strutted into the near empty gym just after nine.

Rows and rows of empty machines wait to be abuse

but you had to park your over chiseled muscles

onto the treadmill next to me the overweight mother of three.

I cannot keep up with the rythmic thumping

of your feet. You go nowhere while raindrops of sweat

pour out of you and onto your sweat soaked shirt that is color

coordinated to your shorts and shoes. Fans blow

to circulate the air, yet your crunchy hair does not move.

Instead the fans force your scent towards me. My husband

wears the same scent when he wants to turn

me on not to the gym in the morning. You smell

like my husband and I miss my husband who is deployed

for the fourth time this year and I have to get off this machine

now and move upwind before my tears join my sweat.

Vomit

Sticky blue vomit

Spewed like blood at a crime scene

Sweet candy smell still

School

My classes are done

There is much sleep to be had

And a house to clean

3 Bean Chili

I am posting this before Rachael eggs my house.

1-15oz can black beans
1-15.5oz can garbanzo beans
1-15.5oz can kidney beans
1 cup (8oz) dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 large, veg or chicken bullion cube, crumbled
1-1.25oz envelope chili seasoning mix
3 cups water
1-10oz can diced tomatoes and mild green chilies, undrained
1-15oz can tomato sauce

Rinse and drain beans, mix all ingredients except tomatoes and tomato sauce in 3-4 quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours

Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Increase heat to high. Cover and cook 5 more minutes.

Makes 8-1cup servings

(Courtesy of Betty Crocker)

My two cents-Yumm, yumm, yumm. This animal free recipe is actually really good-and healthy (shhh, don't tell my kids). Seriously, my kids love it, and everyone I have served it to has asked for the recipe. This recipe feeds my family of 5 and then some. For a crowd I usually double it in my 8 quart crock pot, and it makes a lot. I fed 15ish people on Halloween and had leftovers. It also re-heats really well. An added bonus to this recipe; it's cheap to make. I think the ingredients cost me around $5 at the commissary, besides the bullion cubes.

Enjoy!

I'm still here...

Tonight was the final night of class for this term. I am exhausted, but I did it. Now maybe I can get back to the things I did before research papers and concrete and specific language took over my life, like blogging and reading for fun and cooking real meals. For now, sleep. Oh, and Rachael, I promise to get that recipe on here soon.