HE is strong enough...

Yesterday, Joe left for his cross country trip to Alaska. I talked to him just a short bit ago and he was on his way through Ohio. He said it was just as snowy and wintery looking there. The idea of how each mile physically takes him further away is torture, but I know he'll be home again soon. One day at a time.

Day one - marked off the calendar.

This past month leading up to his transfer has been busy. Busy with parties, company and of course the "honey do" list. Most of which got taken care of I'm happy to say! But right now, I'm feeling sad and lonely...Lonely for his company, his smile...I prayed last night for God to make me strong, make us strong. To help us cope with being apart. But then I realized that God gave me tears for a reason. I'm allowed to be sad and upset about being apart and that I don't have to be strong on my own because HE is strong enough for us all. So off and on all weekend long and the day and a half since his departure, tears have fallen. And I've tried not to contain them...just let them be. But we'll be okay. I know it!

Things are much nicer for staying in touch than when he first enlisted. First, we had letters, (which I still love) and ship to shore phone calls where you couldn't say anything private because there was a third person on the line! But talking to him at all then was welcome and cherished. :) Then email and the occasional phone call and now we have cell phones and Skype and email and letters....How wonderful to know that we can still talk every day. Through Skype we can still "see" each others faces. I am so grateful for that.

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The last 30 days have been filled with a lot of fun things. We celebrated our son's 14th birthday. Started making our maple syrup. Went to a banquet for the firehouse's 70th anniversary Enjoyed Rachael's best friend Stormy's company as she came to visit us from Florida. We made a trip to the zoo...(yes, it was chilly. lol) Had a surprise going away party for Joe and he seemed truly surprised! Thank you to everyone for keeping such a good secret! ;) A St. Patty's day party with friends where I ran into a woman who is one of the rep's for our Home Depot where I work! Small world! Nice time chatting with her. :) and dinner out to a big buffet at the casino. I got a free $25 card to play the slots with. (I do NOT gamble...not even remotely inclined to spend money on a lottery ticket or scratch off) But I did play and didn't win but a dollar something. I left them on the cash-out vouchers and kept those. Worth more to me as a reminder of why I don't play! ;)

One of the jars of maple syrup from our first batch.

 Time is a funny thing...sometimes you want time to come to a complete stop. Precious moments that seem fleeting and you wish you could hold on to them forever...Then there are times you want it to go quickly. Like me with this tour. So I fill my time with many things to make it seem to go by faster. But it doesn't really, and I know God wants me to cherish each moment we've been blessed with. I'll still fill my days with "stuff" but at the same time try to stop and smell the roses once in a while, so to speak. Joe is off to Alaska...but our kids are here and I don't want to miss anything! 

Potential

I love mornings... =0) The start to a new day is filled with so much potential. I have the day off from work today and I find myself making lists and thinking about all of the things I'd like to accomplish. So far...not much. I did get a section finished knitting on a shawl I'm working on. I'm making it out of some lovely pink cashmere yarn that I recycled from a sweater I found at the Goodwill store. It's super soft and I just love it!

I wish it was warmer out...My heart wants to dig in the soil and get our garden ready for planting. Peas and lettuces will come soon...but I am anxious for tasty tomatoes and cucumbers, yummy strawberries and hopefully some blueberries this year. We planted a couple variety of blueberry bushes last spring. I'd love to plant squash and zucchini and probably will...but will have to take them out early as we were infested with squash beetles last year and can't put poisons on them or else the chickens might get into it. So short of manually picking each one off, digging them up early is preferred. Some squash and zucchini is better than none! I am excited to do some more canning and pickling this summer. We're almost out of the applesauce we made last fall. Oh sooo yummy....our applesauce tastes like apple pie filling! It's awesome! Soon we'll tap our maples in the yard and sugaring will commence! I think we might have one small jar left of last springs syrup. That is a busy and sticky time! Last spring was the first time we attempted to make maple syrup. There were days that if we didn't pour off the syrup at least twice the buckets would spill over. Crazy.  

Anyhoo...I guess I have to wait on all of this. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes - To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven...True words. =0)

Unsure what the rest of the day will bring, but the sun is shining and it is a lovely day! (cold...but lovely! lol) I think I'll work next on making up a new batch of laundry soap. =0)

Loving each day. :)

Time is quickly flying by. I hope it goes by as quickly while Joe's in Alaska! But until he goes we are busy trying to get as many projects taken care of as possible. I am so grateful for each day he's home...
He's been busy... put several sheets of drywall up in the basement, a new light fixture in the bathroom, got rid of the old medicine chest and hung a mirror. The bathroom is by no means how we want it for good, but at least now you won't get shocked! The old medicine chest had a metal frame and a wire was grounding out. It was high on the "must do" list. Our plans for our partial basement and one of the garages is to turn it into a multipurpose room, half bath and pantry. The bathroom is little more than a closet just now as there isn't any plumbing yet. lol The actual living space will be a tv room that will convert to guest space. As slow as the work goes...I am enjoying seeing it come together.  =0)

Friday was a sad and upsetting day for everyone here as we had to have Dixie put to sleep. Neither Joe nor I have ever had to have a pet put down. Let me just say...my nose was as red as Santa's. I'm so glad Joe was home to say goodbye and to go with me to the vet. I can't imagine having to go through that alone. ='(
Dixie was such a good girl...she'd been with us for 14 years. We'll all miss her something fierce! I found a cute picture of her and Matt when she was probably 5 months old and Matt just a bit older but I can't get my scanner to work. If I can figure the blasted thing out I'll upload it.

Until then...here's a couple pictures from the Blizzard of 2013!

 

The top one is of me...shoveling a path around the deck, through the yard to get to the chicken coup! teehee.....

 

The stop sign down the road from us. We live on a loop. Not sure what possessed us...but Rachael and I thought Saturday morning; while the wind was still howling; would be a good time to take a walk around the block and check out all the snow. Insane, I know.... 

Jodi, using the snow blower to try to clear the driveway. That was after he had plowed it 3 times. >.<

And just so you're not left with cold feelings from seeing all this snow....Here's a picture of some of the roses from the firehouse's rose sale for Valentine's day! =0)

3567 miles...

3567 miles...Three thousand, five hundred and sixty seven miles. This is how far away my husband - the love of my life- is moving for the next three years. Ketchikan, AK. Not by choice by either of us, just how things are working out. The Coast Guard thought this would be a good place for him to go on his twilight tour. (last one before retiring.) Of course we could have gone with him and part of me wishes we were. Reasons we're not, mainly - the house. We bought our first home in Connecticut not even 2 years ago. A fixer-upper. Doesn't need tons of work, but just enough that we can't sell it in this crummy economy or rent it out due to the things that need fixing or updating. We've been through this separation thing before due to wherever he was stationed...like many, MANY other families. Usually, something like 4-6 months. But this is definitely a lot longer. :?

My main reason for this blog is so I have a place to record things that are going on here at home. A place to quietly count down the days, weeks and months that we are apart. (I say months and end there because I fully expect him to fly home a few times to see us for Christmas, graduations and such.) =0)

I have some things planned to keep myself busy. Makes the time seem to go by quicker. Work, of course. I only work part-time but that leaves a lot of time to spend volunteering with the kids at our fire department, making quilts, knitting. (some of which will go to the firehouse to use on their calls) going to church and helping out with things there, keeping up with our menagerie of animals and organizing our home and life! I've tinkered with making our own laundry soaps..applesauce, maple syrup etc...but I've always wanted a farm, a way to be as self sufficient as possible so that will be my goal while he's away. Time to get things organized! Guess I can't really have the farm just yet...at least not a big farm, but I can be content with our little raised ranch house and a big yard with a veggie garden and chickens. =0)

Need to revamp my "honey-do" list before he has to leave...much to be done.