So Grateful for Good Neighbors

I complain about living in a tiny house, but our tiny house is in a great neighborhood. Our church group is awesome and our neighbors are even awesomer.

We live right next door to a little old lady and her older, single daughter. We try to help her with her yard and shoveling snow in the winter and she's always so cute when she calls us to say thank you. Jason helped her prune her trees last week and she comes over a few days later with a whole bag of strawberry shortcake fixins' for us as thanks. (We never look for thank you's, but I'm not complaining about strawberry shortcake!) She doesn't have a sprinkler system so we see her outside all the time during the summer watering her yard and sweeping sweeping sweeping her driveway. She loves Troy and is always up for a short conversation.

On our other side is an older couple. They work at the Museum of Idaho part-time and we see the husband outside all the time as well. He's kind of a quirky guy but I have never had a neighbor so willing to give of his time and resources for us. I would say that he does some little act of service for us most days. When they first moved in last year he told us he had every tool imaginable and that we were welcome to them should we ever need to borrow. Since then he's snowblowed our driveway, edged our lawn, helped us winterize our sprinklers, and helped stabilize our fence (which is due to blow away any day now). While he was looking at the fence he noticed that the latch on our gate is broken/missing and decided to also fix that for us. I had a recent breakthrough with his wife that I was so excited about. Whenever I see her I try to wave and say hello, but she never responds. I don't know if she's self-conscience about her weight or what... A few weeks ago she, out of the blue, came over and told us Troy was welcome to pick flowers out of their yard. Since then she's initiated hellos and short conversations a few times. Hooray!!

We have another little old lady across the street that loves the rhubarb out of our backyard. I took her over a huge bag a few weeks ago (we're not big rhubarb fans) and she was so excited. It looks like I'll be transplanting some of my plant into her backyard later this summer when I dig mine out. She likes to come across the street and chat while we're outside. She has this cute little shitzu dog that Troy likes to pet.

We have a few neighbors that haven't been interested in being too friendly. To each his own, right?

I just think back to our apartment-dwelling days and how miserable it was sharing walls with other families, some of whom were NOT pleasant. I could go on for an hour about horrible experiences we had with neighbors, but that's for another post. I'm just glad we don't have to deal with that crap anymore; instead we get to make friends and be happy in our little spot.

Woe is Me!

This is somewhat of a boohoo post. Start playing world's smallest violin background music. As most of my family is well aware, I am a severe allergy sufferer. I'll go into the boogery details in a minute, but first, here are some stats:

• About 55% of adults test positive for at least one allergen.
• Allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies) affects up to 30% of adults and 40% of children.
• From 2000-2005, the cost of treating allergic rhinitis went from $6 billion to more than $12 billion, with more than half of that being spent on prescription meds.
• It's estimated that allergic rhinitis affects more than 60 million people in the US.
• www.aaaai.org

I have been suffering from allergies from day one. I've seen doctors, taken the meds, been on shots, moved around, and have never experienced relief. I am allergic to any plant that lives outside (and cats), which means I'm doomed wherever I go. My symptoms include swollen, running, itching eyes; itchy, burning throat; boogery nose; sneezing; coughing; sinus headaches; clogged ears; fatigue... all at the SAME TIME! Also, when I was a teenager I developed growths in my nose, that, when inflamed, swell up and make it impossible to inhale or exhale (so blowing is hard). Great mental image... So, yes, I am as miserable as I sound. Last year, I had to stop driving because I couldn't see through my running, swollen eyes. I live with boxes of tissues in every room. It's hard for me to give Troy the attention he needs (especially when he wants to be outside). Sleeping at night is near impossible with a swollen nose and sore throat.

I had a visit with our local allergist last summer and that didn't go well. Not only was the doc rude and unsympathetic, he was also unwilling to work with my budget which means there was absolutely no way I could afford to even get tested. (Really?! It costs how many thousands of dollars to have a scratch skin test done?!) None of the sample meds he gave me made a dent. He lectured me on things I've known for 15 years now. Fast forward to this summer, I've already gotten so desperate for relief that I scheduled an appointment to see an Ear, Nose and Throat doc that says he also does allergy testing/treatment. I'm hoping he can do something about my swollen nose and maybe that will help with some of my other symptoms. Hopefully he has something positive to tell me. And it also helps my medical insurance deductible is already met from my gallbladder surgery in January.

The reason I'm posting this is because misery loves company, right? I don't know if anyone reads this page, but if you do I could use some advice--what's worked for you? Has anyone tried homeopathic allergy remedies? What locales are good for allergy sufferers? Are you as miserable as I am?

I sympathize with anyone who is chronically ill--it affects every aspect of your life. Come complain to me! I experience the WORST of EVERY symptom, so I can provide good understanding if no one around you quite gets it. Love to all!

Summer Is...

green trees

hot sun, cool breeze

open windows

ponytails

CCR

naps

swimming

neighbor kids playing night games

picnics

sodas

taking walks

shorts and flipflops

tennis

smell of sunscreen

sound of lawn mowers

soccer games

patriotism

seashells

feeding the ducks

BBQ's

reading on the porch

naked baby buns

strawberries

"Here comes the sun, do do do do..."

a feeling of contentedness

lemonade

no school

reggae

floating the river

otter pops

sandcastles at the beach

vacations

thunderstorms with the windows open

fresh flowers

block parties

melting ice cream cones

smiles!

Count Your Blessings

Our little family is going to be hit with some rough times a little later this year. Job hunting for Jason and me has been a complete disappointment. Jason applied to be a summer school teacher (a position that was about 99% guaranteed once his application was in), however someone at the school district office dropped the ball and didn't submit his application to the next higher-up. So he's out a summer job, and, subsequently, much needed fundage. I have been putting in job applications since October of LAST YEAR for both full- and part-time jobs to no avail. Apparently a Bachelor's degree and previous work experience doesn't count for much anymore. (Seriously...I'm not qualified to be an admin assistant?!) Also, with all the state's education budget cuts, Jason's district is having teachers take five or six furlough days. This is a difference of about $100 on each paycheck--which is a lot for us. Dental insurance is also being cut for family members; they've nixed a committee that Jason sits on for a stipend; the conference he normally attends in the summer for a stipend is booked full.

Our financial woes seem endless right now and it looks like our belts will be pulled even tighter come September. It's amazing how these financial problems are coming and not once have I felt panicky. I'm worried, of course; it would be stupid of me to not be. It's on my mind every waking moment of the day about how we're going to pay to get the brakes replaced or make sure Troy has dental coverage, etc, etc, etc... We're commanded by God in the Bible (Malachi chapter 3 to be exact) to pay tithes and offerings to His church. If we do so God will "open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." We see the blessings of faithfully paying our tithing often--several times a year in fact. I know for an absolute fact that we may have hard times but the Lord will ALWAYS provide.

For example, I have been to several job interviews within the past month and none have worked out. I was sitting in bed fuming about a week ago because I was promised that I would hear back about a position the day before and hadn't. It was a job I was fairly certain I would get and I was upset that I didn't have any contact information for the interviewer and that they hadn't called in a timely manner. I still haven't heard anything. Anyway, I'm sitting in bed furious to the point of tears and Jason gets a phone call. A good friend at work needs a nanny for her two youngest sons when school starts in August and does Liz want to do it? She pays well and it would allow me to stay at home with Troy. My tears of fury quickly turned to tears of gratitude for a Heavenly Father who knows the desires of our hearts. It makes me physically ill to think of sending Troy to daycare and that's what needs to be done if I'm to work outside the home full-time. There's a reason none of these jobs have worked out--there would be an even better opportunity for me to stay home and make a little extra to help make ends meet.

I am so grateful that the Lord has provided for us. We won't be rich, but we'll be able to get the bills paid.

Pooooooop

I've been having some serious issues with blogger lately. I finally figured out how to post (through Safari! Explorer won't do it for some reason.) and so I typed out my Brat Part II all out, just to have it not save. So I'm stuck trying to remember I said in my second installation about military life...

...

...not coming back anytime soon unfortunately.

We'll see if I can get back on the ball sometime soon. Again--poooooooooooop!

I'm a Brat, Part I

Some may argue that I'm a brat in more than one way. However, today I'll be discussing my military heritage. My mom has been suggesting for a long time that I write what it was like growing up as the child of a Marine. It is a different way of life than how most non-military kids grow up and I am having a hard time figuring out where to start. There are so many things I could go on and on about.

I guess I'll start with what it's like to be on a military base. Jason got his first taste of this when we visited my parents in Okinawa in 2007. The buildings are strictly functional. Most are low warehouse-types, all painted the same color, with big block lettering painted on as their "address." Office buildings are of the same type, except with windows. Amenities are also provided on base. Gyms are, of course, an important member of society and usually have everything one would want for working out. Mess halls (cafeterias) and fast food are dotted around, normally near the barracks and central places of work. Commissaries (grocery stores) are available for grocery shopping and there are normally small businesses such as tailors, barbers, bank branches, recreation stops, and hobby stores. Housing is available for rent so families can live on the base.

The Marines themselves are a sight. Unless they are PTing (physical training) they are in their camis. (ooh la la) Boots, pants, jackets, covers (hats). Camis have each Marine's name and rank sewed and pinned on so everyone knows who everyone else is. Normally they are going about their respective work, though sometimes they stand in formation for drills or special occassions. Marines pride themselves on having the best physical fitness of any of the military branches. (And from what I've seen, it's true.) Group PT is a must and they also must pass regular fitness exams to make sure they're operating at their peak. Humping (don't laugh gutterheads, it means hiking with all their gear) is common and is a challenge especially for those in bootcamp and the infantry. My dad is great at keeping inter-military ribbing alive by pointing out how fat the Air Force and Army let their servicemen get. Granted, my dad works out almost everyday and is in better shape than ANYONE I know (not exaggerating!).

This is a Marine base in a nutshell. I miss the order and cami-clad young men; it gives me a bit of nostalgia when I go back to visit.

Hairy Situations

I know I'm not the only one out there that has to wax my eyebrows. Note: me waxing my eyebrows = cheapie Sally Hansen strips that you rub between your palms and then cut out your own shape. Every once in a while, Sally doesn't quite cut it (no pun intended) and I have pay for professional help.

The last time I had a salon experience, it was quite interesting. I'm always a little self-conscious going to the salon because it's normally very obvious why I'm there. One look at the lawn growing out of my forhead and the stylists whisk me to the back room and break out the weed-wacker, all the while hoping the shrapnel doesn't pierce their aprons. The stylist on this particular day was very friendly and had some good conversation. Eventually, she was comfortable enough to start telling me a little about her family. I learned that every member of her family is hairy. I got to hear the details about how they all (male and female alike) need to be waxed on a regular basis. It was at this point that I started wondering why it was taking so long to get my eyebrows done, and how in the world had she gotten on the subject of her family's, er, furry little problem? I start mm-hmming and uh-huhing hoping she'll figure out I just want to be done and have decent looking brows. Finally! She hands me the mirror and I see that she's done hardly ANYthing! She cleaned up the peripherals but nothing else. Now my dilemma: do I (1) tell her to keep going and fix it while hearing more about her family follicles, or (2) take it the way it is and run?

I ran.

$10+tip later, I'm sitting in front of my mirror with trusty Sally.

Another funny eyebrow saga: when I lived in Okinawa, I used to go to the salon on base to get my hair/brow care done. The first time I made an appointment to get my eyebrows tamed and I get this cute little, old Okinawan lady. I lay back and she goes to work. It ended up taking about 30 minutes to get done. She had used all of two wax strips and spent the remaining 25 minutes plucking, one by one, til I felt there were no brows left. Zip to a month later. I make another appointment. There're only about 500 ladies that work in the base salon, odds are I'll get someone different. NOPE! Same lady, same 30 minute process. **Mom, I believe you had the same experience with this lady?** So funny! She did a pretty good job, she just wasn't going to rush herself. I would hate for her to hurry and wax my entire face off.

TMI? Yes.

Funny? Yes.

Why? I looked in the mirror this morning and saw I'm in great need of a lumberjack. Preferably one with washboard abs--oh, and a chainsaw.