He is a Cadet

My #1 son has finally broken out of the VMI Rat Line and become a full-fledged Cadet.  His girlfriend took this picture of him looking all "studly"... (her word, not mine).  He is a Cadet - he was a boy when he arrived in August... now -- now he is a Cadet.

Breakout was HARD.  They worked together and succeeded.

He is tired and dirty! Boy, am I glad I don't have to do his laundry!! Getting that red clay out of their clothes is not easy.

The Rat Mass is now officially the Class of 15!!

This honor comes with privileges! They can refer to themselves in the first person. They can walk through barracks in a normal fashion - no straining, no following the line, no pushups. They can call home whenever they want. They can eat like normal people and they can walk pretty much where and how they want. The best part? They can take afternoon naps! (Not that my boy can take naps, he's got class in the afternoons... doesn't it figure?)

Congrats, my boy!!
Thanks to Courtney and Jake for the use of their pictures!

Fractals on the Pool

I love the way the ice formed on the pool cover. The texture is amazing.

I like the way you can see some leaves in the ice, too. It almost looks like the leaf is blowing off a branch.

Cars

I love my car - my sweet CR-V, but it's getting old... and it's having issues...

#1 loves his car, but it's getting old and it had a big old nasty issue...  His clutch gave out on the highway yesterday. (All are safe and well.) We had the 1990 Camry towed to the fixit.  It will be more than $900 to get it fixed, but the car is worth it.  It only has about 70k miles on it.

My car, on the other hand, has more than 177k miles on it and they want $2,000 to attempt to maybe fix it.  I'd rather fix it and let my LLB drive it, but $2,000 for a "maybe it will work" is almost too much to risk.  They think that my issue might be the catalytic converter disintegrating.  Oh yay... not!

I've been researching cars and done a bit of car shopping.  I will be purchasing a new CR-V.
I am SURE that the best pricing is happening now - as in today... I am also SURE that when Mr. finally decides that we need to purchase the new car (next month or in May) that there will be no bargains... As is what happened last time I needed to purchase a car.

Alas, this is the way things go and it makes me crazy!

 

Presents I've Made this year

So -- I've been busy crocheting.
I thought I might show you all what I've been making.
This year I started making baskets -- It's my new thing and I'm thoroughly enjoying modifying the patterns I've found...

 I modified the basket above -- I put a little ruffled edge on it and then we gave it to a very sweet friend of LLB's for her birthday.

 This basket above is made with clothesline... It was such fun to make! It went to the Bus Driver -- we filled it with goodies.
The basket below is big!!  And floppy!! And fun... I might keep it for myself because I love it!

The clothesline basket below went to R.  She got to choose which one she wanted and she chose this little lovely.

This wee basket - perfect for pocket change - is awaiting a new home... My dresser?  Your dresser? We shall see, won't we?

 This little lovely went to LLB's Secret Santa person.  She's a lucky girl!

I've made scarves galore and I have one more to finish for a very special lady who likes green...   This purple gem is on it's way to England!

 This green one is currently with a Band Mom.

I made other scarves and mittens... I have one more pair of mittens to make -- in giant size -- for a Band Dad.  :-)  He'll get his mittens in January (or February).  :-)

I also made the cutest little purple basket...

My sister and I have decided that from now on, our gifts to each other have to be homemade... I think it will be fun to figure out something new to make her every year. This year she got an afghan in her choice of colors for her birthday.  Next year? We'll see.  I've got a bunch of nifty ideas up my sleeve already.

If you have ideas of things I might create, please leave me a comment and let me know.

Sea-Bands Review and Give Away

I was asked to review Sea-Bands anti-nausea wrist bands. My husband - Captain Carsick - gets motion sick on a chair lift, so he was the absolute perfect guinea pig for this review.  The bands are easy to use. You just put one on each wrist and go. He gets such severe motion sickness that we weren't sure this would actually work.
My husband rode around with me over country roads and highways with his Sea-Bands on his wrists and has determined that they really do make a difference. He doesn't get nauseous. He can't read in the car, but he can look for something he's dropped and bend over to get it without tossing his cookies. This is a marked improvement!
They come in a small case which we keep in the car.  My husband just puts them on if he is going to be the passenger. They are unobtrusive, easy to wear, and simple to use. They don't give you cotton mouth or make you dopey like the anti-nausea medication does... This is huge because when he gets where he is going, he doesn't need to drink a gallon of water or take an afternoon nap!  

YOU can win a set of Sea-Bands!  Leave me a comment by December 29th and I'll pull a name out of a hat.  If you win, the Sea-Bands will come directly from the manufacturer. :-)

What they say:
Keep Your Holidays Happy and Nausea-Free! Get on the “Band Wagon” and Get Celebrating with Sea-Band Drug-Free Nausea Relief Wristbands!

Nausea induced by busy and stressful days, filled with traveling and migraine triggers, are unfortunately hallmarks of the holidays. This year, stop nausea in its tracks with Sea-Band Drug-Free Nausea Relief Wristbands.  It doesn’t matter whether you suffer from motion sickness, morning sickness or need nausea relief from a migraine, even chemotherapy treatment or post-surgery; it’s time for you to join the “band wagon” for drug-free nausea relief from Sea-Band!

How Sea-Band Works…
Approved by the FDA, Sea-Band is the leading drug-free remedy for, motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy nausea and post-operative nausea. Most recently, a 2010 study, carried out at a German clinic specializing in migraine and headache therapy, showed that Sea-Band wristbands significantly reduced nausea and vomiting: 83% noticed perceptible reduction and 44% found their symptoms markedly reduced.

Sea-Band works by exerting constant, gentle pressure on a point on the inner wrist known as the Pericardium 6 (P6) acupressure point. It brings effective relief within five minutes of being applied and can be used before or after the onset of nausea. The all-natural, drug-free, latex-free Sea-Band does not cause the side-effects often associated with anti-nausea medication such as drowsiness, disorientation, dry mouth or possible interactions with other drugs. It’s safe for pregnant women, children, and patients taking prescription medications. Packaged in a convenient carry-case, they are washable and reusable, and available a variety of colors in sizes for adults and children.

Don’t let feeling nauseous hold you back this holiday season! Join the “Band Wagon” with Sea-Band on Facebook to take advantage of special product giveaways at www.facebook.com/seaband ! And, for more information about Sea-Band products, visit www.sea-band.com. 
Click here to watch an informative video about how Sea-Band wristbands work.  In addition, the company also offers Sea-Band Anti-Nausea Ginger Gum, for fast nausea relief with fresh, uplifting flavor. Each piece of the great tasting gum contains 25 mg of ginger oil (equivalent to 8 grams of fresh ginger root).

Sea-Band products are available in the U.S. in Walmart, Target, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, as well as in Canada in Overwaitea, IDA, Familiprix, Guardian and other independent drugstores or pharmacies throughout North America or online at drugstore.com and at http://www.sea-band.com/shop.

Suggested retail price is $10.99 per pair in the US, and $12.99 in Canada.

I wrote this review for Family Review Network and Sea-Band. I received a set of Sea Bands free of charge in exchange for my honest review. 

Hickory Farms Goodness!!

I was asked to blog about this Hickory Farms box of goodies that arrived in the mailbox the other day.  Everything in it was absolutely  delicious!  My favorite is the beef summer sausage - but I'm getting ahead of myself.

We took the goodies to VMI when we went to visit our #1 son.  We added them to the food at his Senior's tailgating table.  Everyone that tried the cheese, crackers, and summer sausage absolutely loved it.  I let everyone know that they were required to taste and then tell me what they thought -- good or bad -- and there was not one complaint. Well, there was one - that it was all gone and I had no more.  The mustards included were also a big hit!

(FYI: We had ham for Thanksgiving dinner and I put the Sweet Hot Mustard on my ham, as it is my favorite.  It was wonderful! Don't tell, okay...)

The cheeses were disappearing - The smoked gouda was the first to go.  Everyone loved the smooth smoky flavor.  The cheddar - a classic - went next.  The beef summer sausage was a huge hit as was the turkey.  I went to get my camera to take a picture of everyone enjoying the Hickory Farms goodies, but when I returned -- literally moments later, every crumb had been eaten and enjoyed!  So - unfortunately, I don't have a record of everyone enjoying the cheese, crackers, and summer sausages.

If you should need a gift for someone, don't hesitate to go to the Hickory Farms website, place an order, and sit back and wait for the complements.  Don't forget that they have 3 day for $3 shipping - that's a bargain and you'll look like a hero if it arrives in time for someone's party.


 “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a product sample to facilitate my review.”

For the Sake of Tolerance

I received this in my email this morning and thought I'd share...  If you disagree, push the little red x at the top of your screen.

I am truly perplexed that so many folks are against a mosque being built at or near Ground Zero.  I think it should be the goal of every American to be tolerant.  Thus the Mosque should be allowed, in an effort to promote tolerance.

That is why I also propose that two nightclubs be opened next door to the mosque, thereby promoting tolerance from within the mosque.  We could call one of the clubs, "The Turban Cowboy", which would be gay, and the other a topless bar called "You Mecca Me Hot ."

Next door should be a butcher shop that specializes in pork, and adjacent to that an open-pit barbeque pork restaurant, called "Iraq o' Ribs."

Across the street there could be a lingerie store called "Victoria Keeps Nothing Secret", with sexy mannequins in the window modeling the goods.

Next door to the lingerie shop, a liquor store called "Morehammered."

All of this would encourage the Muslims to demonstrate the tolerance they demand of us, so the mosque problem would be solved.  If you agree with promoting tolerance, and you think this is a good plan, please pass it on.

For the sake of tolerance, of course.