Scared to Death

[caption id="attachment_1736" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Image at Scientific American"][/caption]

If you know me at all, you know that I love, love, love Halloween! There have only been two times in my life when I've missed trick-or-treating. Once was in high school in an ultimate, effective grounding situation. I won't get into what trouble I got into all those years ago, but I will say that it totally broke my heart to not be able to trick-or-treat OR go to the big rivalry game in football that Friday evening with my friends. The other time I skipped out on scoring some free candy was last year when we were out of the country. This means that when my friends were hanging out at bars on Halloween nights in college, I was hitting up the local well-to-dos and getting huge bags full of chocolate. Yes, that's my weakness.

I could go on forever on my love of dressing up, getting candy, watching scary movies, and mingling with other costumed weirdos on this day, but I have a question to present to you-

Can someone really be scared to death?

I was watching Sorority Row on Lifetime earlier and it got me thinking about this very thing. I decided to do a little research on the topic and I wasn't very surprised with what I found. In short, YES! one can absolutely be scared to death. Although extremely rare, Dr. Martin A. Samuels says, "some people do have the potential to suddenly drop dead from fright." According to this sudden death expert, the phenomenon "has to do with our normal fight or flight response." Our bodies prepare by pumping adrenaline in and causing the heart rate to elevate. Muscles tense, digestion slows, and the surge of adrenaline can cause problems in the major organs in some individuals (Reference here).

This is the point that my nervous system starts getting all outta whack because of my lingering PTSD from an undergraduate class in neuropsych. Kidding, of course. I was bloody brilliant in that class, too. Anyway, I do recall studying synapses and the various neurotransmitters that flow through these. According to this source, copious amounts of the neurotransmitter, adrenaline, can be toxic to our visceral (internal) organs.

There you have it, folks- It's completely feasible to drop dead from fright so in the words of Antoine Dodson you may want to "hide yo kids, hide yo wife, and hide yo husbands cuz" they all very well may be susceptible to being scared to death!

A Halloween How To

Howdy partners! You were probably expecting the second half to my New Zealand story today, weren't you? Well, tough cookie. You see, my computer (where all the photos for that post are located) is acting all finicky so I'm afraid that post will have to wait until I can get the problem fixed. In the meantime, I'm posting from Captain J's wonderful computer (Note: you have to pet and praise your computer often if you want it to keep cooperating with you). Anyway, in the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd spread some halloween cheer with you and show you the cute lil card I made for my hubby.

I found this idea somewhere, but I couldn't remember where so I decided to make my own version of it. I took some photos each step of the way and I'll try to be as specific as I can with directions, but I'll be honest...I was wingin' it.

First, take an 8x8 portion of card stock paper and fold it in half (like a hotdog, please).

Then, cut out two black circles and two white ones.

Place the black circles towards the bottom of the white ones (to make them look like eyes) then cut the remainder of the extra paper off.

Then get some white card stock paper and cut strips of white for a mummy look. Don't worry about them being even or the same size or anything like that because HEY, no mummy's perfect. ;) hehe

Paste or glue the strips onto the card at an angle.

Next add the eyes...

Then you'll want to add some writing to the front side of the card. I used my handy, dandy cricut again, but if you don't have one then simply writing in fun letters would be cute, too.  I cut out letters that said, "Some Mummy..."

and on the inside, "...Loves You"

And Voila! Isn't this the cutest thing you've seen in your whole life?

Okay, maybe not the cutest, but it's up there! ;) I hope you enjoy Halloween! It's Drifter's birthday so you can bet your cutie patootie we'll be celebrating!

 

Last October (NZ style) Part One

I have some old news to share with you- a bit of a recollection, if you will. Exactly a year ago to this very week, I was arriving in New Zealand with my (now) husband and two of his friends. They had been planning this adventure as a celebration of returning back to the states from Iraq and the plans were set well before I even met Captain J for the first time. In fact, I didn't want to intrude. They should have guy time, right? They could share old war stories, drink New Zealand beer, and revel in the fact that they had two weeks to do whatever they pleased in one of the most gorgeous countries that I've ever seen. For whatever reason, J didn't want to leave me behind so he shelled out the money for a plane ticket for me, as well. I was excited!

We arrived in Auckland on October 26, 2009- which happened to be NZ's Labor Day. I remember being amazed at the individuals I saw running the streets. Everyone seemed to be chiseled to perfection- so fit and healthy! We set out early in the morning from the airport and I guess this is when many people take the opportunity to exercise because literally every person we saw that morning was out jogging. The city wasn't bustling yet at that hour and we would come to find that it was unlike any American city we had experienced. No one seemed to be in a big hurry and everyone was eager to talk to us and tell us of their favorite local spots when probed. After a quick glance at the culture via a local museum, we left to check into our hotel and catch some shut eye. The only problem was- I was too excited to sleep!  I crept out of the hotel room and (Mom & Dad: Skip this part) strolled around the streets of Auckland by myself. I went to a nearby restaurant and sat around and listened to some street music and enjoyed some coffee while I thought to myself, "I wonder if J will ask me to marry him while we're here."

On October 27th, we hopped in the rental car and whisked ourselves away to Thames, NZ. While in Thames we did a little hiking in the hills behind the town and enjoyed relaxing in a small town that was virtually deserted. Small businesses surrounded us, but it was difficult to find them actually open. That night we stayed in a little hotel that had about 4-5 rooms. The bathroom and shower areas were community with the bedrooms the only place of privacy. We chatted with the lady who owned it downstairs in her food and bar area. While, we enjoyed walking the streets of Thames, we eagerly looked forward to exploring more of the country the following day.

We joked that this was a bad band photo.

 

Over the next few days, we traveled the long, scenic route to Tauranga where we settled in at the lovely Hotel on Davenport. The drive was nothing short of amazing. The vegetation changed so quickly that it was difficult to push the button on my camera fast enough!

During this leg of the trip, we visited the breathtaking views of Mount Maunganui in a short, 20 minute hike. We were able to see excellent views of the harbour and sheep trails as I huffed and puffed, chasing after three army guys on a constant elevation. Later, we went to a winery, Mills Reef, and tasted some wonderfully old grape juice!

Our shadows after the hike. We were waiting on J to finish snapping photos as per usual. Copyright @Josh Reed

I was having a pretty good time, but in the back of my mind, I still felt as though I might be intruding. I no longer thought that J proposing was going to happen. In fact, I was beginning to wonder if he ever would. In my mind, I started calculating my move back to Tennessee. No, I wasn't thinking of breaking up with him; I simply knew that I needed to get back in school and on with my life while he figured out what he wanted in his. While I hated the idea of being away from J if I didn't have to be, I also knew I couldn't just shack up with him forever. When I made the decision to move to Alaska, it was in preparation for our upcoming marriage that we talked about while he was deployed. It was a welcoming home visit of sorts and at that point, he had been home for about a month with no talk of getting married. Little did I know, he was trying to make me think that it was the furtherest thing from his mind...

I began to focus on having a good time on this trip, the trip of a lifetime.

To Be Continued...

Choosing to See

It's 7ish PM Alaska Time (Yes, that's the name of the time zone) and my husband is outside tinkering with his jeep, although he is home so I can't complain. I have a glass of red sitting by the computer and dinner intoxicating our home with delicious smells. The two dogs are downstairs being good (and quiet) and I can truly say, "Life is good today".

I had a great day. One of my favorite things to do in this town is to go to the local Barnes and Noble bookstore. They have a huge circular fireplace with oversized, comfy plaid and solid chairs surrounding it. It's the perfect place to relax, put my feet up, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a good book. Today I chose a book that I first heard about from Kate. The book was written by Mary Beth Chapman, wife of the popular Christian songwriter and performer, Steven Curtis Chapman. It's called Choosing to See and I can't sing its praises enough...

While I'll admit I only got half way through it before it was time to leave to go start dinner, I already have been spoken to via her writing and God's will. I will, of course, have a book review to come when I do finish, but I just wanted to go ahead and recommend it to all of you. Her story is one of struggle. She pictured her life all planned out, but God continues to throw some curve balls in her way. You may know that this family experienced a tragic loss when one of their sons hit one of their adopted daughters in a tragic car accident. She writes about this loss and many other obstacles that she has had to deal with throughout her life. What I like about her story is that it is real. We often look at people in the so-called spotlight and put them up on a pedestal. Christian musicians and ministers have it all together, in our minds. In reality, they struggle, too. Everyone struggles with something. Life isn't perfect. But the faith and grace that Mary Beth Chapman talks about in her book can be an example to anyone who wonders why God does some of the things He does. We may never understand His ways, but it's encouraging to know that there are others out there who endure (very) hardships but still come out at the end praising and worshiping God for all He has done in their lives.

Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed learning more about was their experience in adopting. The Chapmans' adopted three beautiful little girls from China to add to their already family of five. Since I was young, I have always thought about how one day I would like to adopt. Captain J and I have talked about this as an option (an option far, far away, of course) and I plan to look into it some more as the years go by.

I could have posted up there all day and finished the book if time allowed. I love her writing and I really love stories of faith and grace. You won't be disappointed if you check out her book.

I'm glad I was able to look at my life today and see how God has blessed me. I'm choosing to see!

Anyway, I'm going to go prepare some rice to go with what I've already prepared. Let's talk soon, mmkay?

Much love,


(*I was not compensated or contacted to write this review)

My Only Flaw

I'm sitting here listening to some praise and worship music on Pandora, trying to block out the barking symphony my dogs have created with the neighborhood dogs outside. I refuse to bring them in if they're barking at nothing aside from boredom so in go the ear phones and out with the stress those furry friends of mine bring. I can't wait to get to some warmer weather so that every time I take them on a walk, I don't have to get walked in the process...they always seem to pull me along the ice instead of the other way around. Enough about them. Let's talk about me...

It is my blog after all. The other day, Mama M. suggested I give proof of my freakishly tall toe. I decided I've already told you about it so I don't have much to hide now, but please don't be alarmed. I swear I don't have fingers for toes--it just might look that way to you. Are you ready for this?

There it is. There you have it- my only flaw. Ha! I kid, I kid. And now for something else weird-

Need a cheap costume? Be Cindy Lou Who! I am. Captain J and I are trying to save money this year so I didn't have the time or the moolah to spend on various parts of the costume idea I coveted. I'll save that for next year! ;) Instead, I got a styrofoam cone, floral wire, and a pretty pink bow and called it a day. I already had some pjs that were pink so I threw those on and fixed my hair around the props I bought. I'm sure I'll put much more effort into this costume on Halloween, but this is the trial run photo (I just re-read that and realized how dorky I am).

Moving on...

I've been searching for housing at our new duty station and I'm getting excited. I regret that I'll be leaving all the friends I've made here, but I look forward to being within driving distance of my old ones! I am elated that I'll be able to actually decorate for Christmas this year instead of only breaking out the charlie brown tree of last year. When I was in college, my condo had three large trees and two small ones so to say that I miss decorating is a bit of an understatement.

We don't have many must haves on our list for our new home aside from a fenced in yard. We really need that! Otherwise, we're pretty open. On one hand, it's exciting to be able to start over. On the other, it makes me feel all icky thinking of all the stuff that has to be done. I'll keep you posted on these developments, but I can tell you that our orders have arrived and we'll be saying goodbye to Alaska in less than a month. Goodbye Alaska, Hello Georgia. Am I ready for that? I know our poor Alaskan huskies won't know what hit em...

 

(Mil)ing it Over: Wedding Edition

As, promised in the video, here are some pictures from our special day along with a blog post describing it- You Can Call Me... 

Ahh, those just take me back. I can't believe we're already coming up on our one year anniversary in a couple of months!

Be sure to check back in as I add the other links of the bloggers who participated!

Chances I'm Taking

A Hapa Girl and Her Hapa Family

If there was ever any question...

as to why I miss the south so much let this serve as answer number one-



(Lucy is the family dog)

Please repeat the following in a Chandler voice- Could she BE any cuter?

I think not. Cuteness exudes from her (and her two older brothers). Oh, how I miss them.

Captain J got orders yesterday! Looks like I'll be seeing all my people very soon. We PCS in less than a month. :)

I'm vlogging again...

Mama M's 5 Question Friday



and...



Wife of a Sailor's Milspouse Friday Fill-In

Dating on a Budget

I'm a firm believer in dating your spouse so married people this post is for you, too! I was talking with a friend the other day about finances and about how we (along with our dear husbands) don't budget very well. Captain J and I like to avoid staying out of debt so when money is running low our weekly date night tends to suffer. It doesn't have to, though! I decided to use items throughout my house to create a fun way to spend time together. Seriously, I didn't spend any money on this date- just a little planning and crafting on my part. So easy (and fun, too!).

Step One: Send your man a hint (and/or picture) in the middle of the day to his phone or email. Don't be afraid to show a little skin ;) This is the perfect opportunity to flirt!

Next, leave an invite on the door or some place he'll immediately see it as he comes home from work. I decided to make a referee type invitation with a leftover drawstring that fell out of a pair of his shorts while they were in the dryer (I'm a bit of a pack rat, but hey- it comes in handy sometimes!).

*This is too easy to make. I sketched a shirt shape on card stock paper. Then I found black and white paper and cut thin strips to glue on one right next to the other. Repeat until the shirt is full. Then I used my handy dandy Cricut to cut out a letter for the referree shirt. Punch holes at the top to add a drawstring or shoelace (or anything else sporty you may think of) to hang on the door of your home. On the flip side of this invite, I wrote: "Are you up for a game night? Bring it on!"

 

Then you'll want to send him on a trail throughout the house. I decided to only make two pit stops because I wanted our family game night to take place downstairs in the room he enters from the front door so I didn't have much to work with. If you try this date, it might be fun to make a scavenger hunt type deal. 

*This paper is a scrapbook paper square that I cut in half and used as index type cards. Again, I used my cricut to number the cards, but you can use whatever you have available to you. Now, here comes the goofy(iest) part--Get creative on your clues, hints, or instructions. The easiest way to do this is to make it rhyme! On card one, I wrote: "Come on in, Babe-you've got a game to play. Don't you dare ask me, I won't give it away... Head over to the table to find what's waiting there. Feel free to pull up a chair!"

That instruction sent him to card two that said, "Hey Soldier, you think you're tough? Obviously, we haven't played games enough! Take your pick, I'm going to win- over and over and over again! Don your uniform, dude- while I munch on this food."

At this point, he was standing at our kitchen table when I presented him with his attire he was to wear (an Iraqi jersey) while he was surrounded with snacks I had thrown together. I just prepared whatever we had in our cabinets around the kitchen. Also all around him were choices of games: cards, Bananagrams, Scattergories, and Wii options.

Also, what is game night without some beer options?

There had to be a prize up for grabs, too which is why I created this:

Another cool alternative would be to go to a thrift store or goodwill and find old trophies people have donated. When I lived in Cookeville, it was so easy to find a trophy and doctor it up to make it what you wanted it to be. You can pick those up for a few cents. Because I wanted to make this a completely free date, I didn't do that but it would be too easy to do. Just cover up any engraving or writing that doesn't fit your goal with different papers and designs that do!

*To make the above award, imagine those bright orange cones construction workers put on the side of the road. I cut out two of that shape and glued the very tips together. Then I added a star to the top and a "Way To Go" message on the trophy out of regular construction paper. Where it opens at the bottom to hold it up, I wrote: "You're a winner!" 

Captain J and I love game night. It's good for us because I know he's tired after work and sometimes all he wants to do is relax. By playing games together, we get to hang out and lay around the house and be lazy!

This date can easily turn into a couples date night, too. Challenge your couple friends to a game, create a scoreboard, and keep track of who is winning! This will allow you and your spouse (or significant other) to work together as a team to kick some butt! ;) Or you could always do girls versus guys...that's fun,too.

The most important thing is to simply have a good time. I think "date nights" often get a bad rap because they seem to some, one night during the week set aside for doting on your spouse as opposed to doing so all throughout the week. I am from the other school of thought that defines date nights as deliberate time set aside for just the two of you in order to ensure time together. During the week, it's so easy to get caught up in the stress of work, school, or just life in general. Sticking to a plan of spending time together will help strengthen your relationship!

After all the game playing, we decided some smores were in order!

Yum, yum. Oh, and Captain J thought my little trophy I made was a hat. I guess that means I'll just have to try harder next time. I'm not too concerned, though- in all fairness, he didn't get a good look at it. I mean, as soon as I won game night, I snatched it right up! ;)

Happy Dating!

Will you go vote?

Pretty please!

So, I have a favor to ask of you. It's so easy, I don't know why you wouldn't want to do this one little thing for me :) See, a good friend of mine has a son that is up for player of the week (for football) from our hometown. All you have to do is go vote for Wade Plemons. There's no sign up at all...just a simple click of the mouse and I'll be happy. Will you do that for me? Pretty please?!

VOTE HERE.

Good Day (or perhaps goodnight!)

I feel this pull to write despite my sleepy eyes, tired fingers, and achy back. The bed is calling my name, but I know that as soon as I lay down a thousand thoughts will float through my brain beckoning me back to the computer to type them all out. Sleeping in does not work for me yet it's so easy to do here. The sun wasn't up until around 9am this morning and Captain J was out the door without much of a stir from my side of the bed. Usually I wake up, prepare his coffee and breakfast, and kiss him goodbye at the door like a good little wife. Today was a different story all together. I stayed in bed, pulled the covers back over my head, and waited until he turned the light back off in our room to enjoy the darkness outside. I slept until 10:30 and felt quite bad about it. Now, I'm paying for it! It's an endless cycle for me, too. I'll probably tell myself to get back on schedule, but that is easier said than done.

In conjunction with the gloriousness of sleeping-in, I had a great day. I caught up on many of my favorite shows thanks to On Demand. I watched the latest Private Practice and Project Runway and got my t.v. fix for the day. I did a few chores around the house, but I didn't want to accomplish too much on my lazy day so most of those hit the back burner. ;)

This afternoon a friend called and asked if Drifter, Holly, and I would like to join her and Miss Lucy at the dog park. We gratefully accepted her offer! The snow fell all around us reminding us that our days at the dog park are numbered. Soon it will be too cold for her sweet pup and definitely too cold for this southern gal to stand outside for any length of time! Afterwards, we grabbed some spiced chai at a drive thru coffee house and headed back to my place for some much needed conversation. I love when I find a person that I can talk to about anything, don't you? Life is so much sweeter with good friends!

Later that evening, Captain J came home in good spirits despite having to work late. We had a fun evening together that consisted of watching Killers and cuddling on the couch. Now, I'm afraid, I'm keeping him awake with the incessant clicking of the keyboard. I better crawl into bed before I murder my semblance of a decent sleep pattern. Let's chat tomorrow, k?

Military Mondays- PCS help

Hey Civilian families...come closer! I've got to tell you a little secret. You've got to keep it on the downlow, though alright? Are you ready for it......

The Army takes forever in getting things done. Whew! There, I said it. I feel better.

Before I delve into that topic, let me tell you about Military Mondays! I want to help Candace over at Army Wives Lives out because she has this awesome blog hop every week where bloggers can come and enter a recent post about military life. I used to participate quite a bit and then I fell off. I'm back now and I'm hoping you will enter your link, too.

And now back for the regularly scheduled programming...

The Army still hasn't issued us orders to PCS. I've never experienced a move with the military. This was Captain J's first duty station so I just met him up here with some of my stuff. I'm really tired of moving already, but if there's a move looming in my future, I'd like to get the ball rolling if you know what I mean. Unfortunately, we still have no clue when we'll be driving out.

We decided to do a partial DITY move, which means that the Army will move some of our belongings and we will be driving the rest down with us. I suppose I should say that he decided this. He's in love with the idea of driving across America. While I do agree this could be an amazing adventure, I also fantasize about hopping on a plane and just having the Army pack, move, and deliver all of our things. I think I'd be elated to drive around our beautiful country with my love if we didn't have two dogs that are probably going to be pretty unhappy in a crate for most of the drive. Oh, well.

Okay all you pros who have been doing this forever...How belated should I expect his orders to be? Should I start packing or should I let the Army do it for us when the time comes? Do you have any other advice regarding PCSing? I'm like a sponge and I'll soak it all in ;)

a friends, food, and fun weekend

This weekend was an exciting mix of chaos and good times. I can say that now because I am clean, smelling good, and enjoying a glass of wine from a bottle of red a friend brought over.

Friday I spent the day shopping at the grocery store, cleaning our casa, and trying to completely exhaust our two dogs so that we could have an evening of friends, food, and fun. If you know anything about huskies, you know that they really need their exercise.

Everything came together at the very last minute and we were able to enjoy ourselves. I made some cheesy, wonderful concoction and prepared soft tacos with beef, chicken, or bean/beef toppings to go along with it. Captain J decided we would have a Mexican night, but he fell asleep after work (of course) and I was left to pull together whatever we had around the house- hoping it might taste okay. I think we managed to convince our friends that we weren't totally unprepared.

I had such a good time!

We met some new friends at the dog park a few weeks ago so we finally got to hang out with them, too. It's nice to be around some good ole southerners! ;) I guess I'm a tad biased, though.

Saturday was quite lazy. We deemed it a football and pizza day and lounged around in our sweatpants and PJs all day. Michelle and Justin came over, too with their dog, Ulaaq. An hour with him and Drifter was down for the count! It was pretty nice having two sleeping dogs and plenty of time to chat with other humans. Michelle also taught me how she knits. I use a totally different method so as of yesterday I'm a little bit more versatile :)

That evening we headed over to Sarah's for a game of Things. Have you ever played that? It can be pretty hilarious! We have it, too and we often break it out of the closet when we have gatherings at our household. It's so much fun. After a late night (for us), we crawled into bed and I swear, I don't think I rolled over until it was time to get up for church.

This weekend was a sweet reminder of what all (read: who all) I will miss when we leave this place.

Thanks for taking a peek into my weekend! Tomorrow is Military Monday at Army Wives Lives. Be sure to link up your recent military related post. Let's give her blog hop a kick start! I'll be back with my post tomorrow and a link to all the fun. See you then!