Moving Day

Today the moving truck comes to load up all our worldly possessions. We will be "camping" here in an empty house for 10 days until the closing on the 25th. Then we are off to our new home of record. The next 10 days should be more fun than I can imagine. :) I might be hit or miss with blogging for the next couple weeks. Tootles!!

Copyrights and Sassypants

So, the other day I was just reading along and sending comment love back to the sweet folks that had left comments on my blog. I clicked on a commentors link to find my own words from my July 4th post front and center on her blog page as if she had written them all by HER lonesome. Now I am a paralegal and have worked with attorneys for years, and after beginning my blog I asked one of these defenders of the law about copywriting the written word. In true lawyer fashion, I did not get a perfectly straight answer, but here is the jest of what was said. As soon as the words are written they are copyrighted by the writer. If two entities should ever go to court over the rights, the one whose words were the original has to prove they are the original writer of said words. So if it is a very serious manuscript, like the next Great American Novel that I have in the works (hehe), it is best to send it off to the Library of Congress and get an ISBN # - I'll let you reserach that your ownself if you are interested - or mail yourself a copy of the manuscript to get a postmarked date as proof of the original text. Now for us everyday lovers of blogging and sharing and growing in our writing craft it is sufficiant to ask others not to use your words or photos without permission. But some folks don't play nice and do it anyway. You can also put the copyright logo - a c with a circle around it -I hope I can figure out how to do it - following the text and the words all rights reserved by (fill in your lovely name). So for all my blog/writer friends out there who are sharing your personal stories, please protect your words by figuring out how to add that logo (and tell me how to do it too!) :) Obviously, we all know that our words are out there in the public forum and that is really the point, but protect yourselves sweet love muffins.

Back to the other story, I wrote the young lady a nice note stating that I had a disclaimer not to use my words without my permission; and more than likely I would have given my permission had she asked and all would be peachy keen. But it really wasn't all that nice to take my stuff and put it on her blog without even a word of explanation to the whole wide blog world. This is what the little lady wrote back to me (I have removed her name because I'm nice that way, we'll just call her Ms. Sassypants).

As far as you can tell, there's no credit given. But you'd be quite mistaken in thinking you saw my full journal. The way livejournal works is that each post has various viewing settings. Nearly all of mine are viewable to friends only. I don't know if you noticed the timestamp on that particular post, but it was just before midnight, and I forgot to close it to the public. Stamped the following day, credit was given, but as I said, most of my posts are viewable to
friends only. I'm sorry you won't be able to see the proof in that matter because of it.

By the way, if you're so worried about things being taken from your blog, there are ways to make sure your page can't be copied

Now is that sassy or what? That's like saying to your neighbor, you took something that belongs to me out of my yard and I don't appreciate it, and your neighbor says, well, if you put your stuff away, I wouldn't have taken it. Ok, that is so not the point, right? Whatev, I don't have the energy for drama, but that really ticked me off!! Chief and Code-Man were madder than me about the whole thing. They said I was being too nice to Ms. Sasssypants about the whole thing. But I can't be mean, sometimes I need to be, but it is not in my nature. I always want to give the person the benefit of the doubt and hope they really didn't mean it.

Family Fun at Baltimore Orioles Games

Camden Yards home of the Baltimore Orioles.


Funny Guys!

Code-Man and Little Chief's buddy, Javi.



Cutie Pies!


Little Chief and Daddy Chief.


Little Chief and Javi, tickle, tickle.




Code-Man

Fabulous Five Friday

Today on the Fab Five I am featuring 5 things that my family does to live green. Little Chief is fanatical about helping the Earth, they teach on it heavily at school and he is true blue dedicated to the cause. We recently learned that the peach orchard were we buy our produce around the corner has sold the farm and they will begin to construct townhomes very soon. Apparently the farmer's 4 daugthers do not want to continue in the farming business. Their father recently had a heart attack and can't do the work anymore. When we found out from a neighbor, Little Chief was devastated, literally. He cried and carried on and said "can't we do something to stop this!" He is a little on the dramatic side, don't know where on the green earth he gets that from! Anywho, here goes:

We recycle, duh:


We compost:

This little compost bucket is the bomb! You can buy bags that actually decompose so you can fill it up with compost material as you are cooking and then throw the whole kit and kaboodle in the compost pile. I love, love, love it. And so do the kids since they are the ones I really make do the dirty work. :) You can get one too here.
http://www.biobag.no/.

We use these babies:


And these energy savers:


And last but not least, we donate all our junk mail, old magazines, flyers, school papers to Little Chief's school. They have a dumpster set up and it earns the school much needed cash at the same time:


Have a green day, people!! Even if you use just one less napkin or paper towel, it helps.

Thursday To Go

I have a ton to do today, but I’m posting a recipe that we love and it is easy and fast. This is not my original recipe.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
½ cup water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 c Kraft shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, water, garlic; just stir until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

Place chicken in a 13x9 baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

Bake 30 min or until chicken is cooked through.

Wordless Wednesday

Shout Out to SAHMs, You Rock!

Can I just say that quitting my job and staying home before the upcoming move has been somewhat challenging. My schedule used to go something like this:

5:30 a.m. – Wake up, drink coffee and water, take meds, get shower, put on make up.
5:45 a.m. – Make breakfasts, lunches and partially prepare the evening meal.
6:00 a.m. – Get dressed (clothes I laid out the night before). Clothes are also laid out for Little Chief. Code-Man is the summer child care.
6:15 a.m. – Leave for work.
6:30 a.m.- Arrive at work.
Work Blog the first half of the day.
11:30 a.m. – Go home for lunch to check on Little Chief and Code-Man, have lunch together and listen to a laundry list of complaints from my children about who did what to whom. Do some more prep work for dinner.
12:30 p.m. – Back to work.
3:30 p.m. – Work is over. Stop at the grocery store if necessary. Run any other small errands that I couldn’t do at lunchtime.
4:30 p.m. – Change clothes, begin dinner prep, listen to more bickering from the Brotherly Love Muffins, threaten to beat BLMs to within an inch of their lives, Pour large glass of wine. Finish cooking dinner.
5:00 p.m – Welcome home my Chief and hear about his day at work. The BLMs stop bickering in the kitchen and disappear to watch TV, play video games or read and leave me in peace. Hmmmmm…..must have been the presence of the miraculous man of the house.
5:30 p.m. – Eat dinner as a family. Hear encouraging comments like, ma, you look tired, or what is this we’re eating? I need money for new video game, clothes…feel free to insert any material object, because I assure you, it is needed. Drink more wine.
5:45 – p.m. Clean up kitchen from a dinner that took 1 hour to prepare (with interruptions) and approximately 7 minutes and 12 seconds to be consumed.
6:30 p.m. – Sit down to watch the nightly news and Jeopardy. Discuss any important events in the lives of my family that require action by ME.
7:30 p.m.- Probably nodding off on the couch as kids get cleaned up for the night, oh, and bicker, fight and complain about who is going first or last or not at all. Headache is coming on, wishing I hadn’t polished off the bottle of wine at dinner.
8:00 p.m. – Reading to Little Chief as Chief skillfully operates the remote from his recliner – feel like I have ADD from the dizzying pace at which he is flipping channels – Headache full tilt – thinking lovingly about chocolate.
9:30 p.m.– Head to my bedroom to read and collect my to-do list for tomorrow.
10:00 p.m. – Drooling on my pillow.

Now being a SAHM for only a few days the schedule is something like this:

8:00 a.m.– Wake up and drink a whole pot of coffee, pour cereal for kiddos.
10:00 a.m – Enter the Blogosphere.
12:00 p.m. – Prepare lunch, watch TV, clean a little, check computer.
2:00 p.m. – Take a nap (still in PJs)
4:00 p.m. – Brush teeth, take shower (before Chief comes home).
5:00 p.m. - Order Pizza for dinner.
6:00 p.m. – Watch a marathon of movies with the kids.
12:00p.m. - Read and go to sleep.

Where did that well-oiled machine go? I’m completely undisciplined!!! I'm sure I'll get the hang of it, but I admire the SAHMs out there who actually accomplish things on a daily basis - you definitely ROCK!

Heart Trouble

I spent the majority of the day at the cardiologist. I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure (it was VERY high) and have been having heart palpitations and an irregular heart beat. The most troubling part however was a lot of pressure in my chest on exertion, like walking up stairs. So my doc sent me to the cardiologist. I had an EKG and an echocardiogram today and will have a stress test on the 21st. She also suggested starting to take a baby aspirin a day. So I request prayers from the blogosphere.

I am sure if I were able to lose some weight it would help with both the heart issues and the high blood pressure. So once I get settled in Virgnia Beach, I am going to start a program for my health and well being. I am sure there will be plenty of blog fodder there! Stress is like helium and my body the balloon. So I need to calm down and concentrate on the things that are important and not the things that are completely out of my control. Now this sounds good in theory, but it is something I struggle with daily. So many of you inspire me daily and bring me a lot of laughter, which is after all the best medicine. So thanks!!

My Heartfelt Thanks

For the soldier sitting today in full gear in over 100 degree weather,
Thank You
For the wife who gives up her career to follow her sailor all over the world,
Thank You
For the daughter whose father is absent for the Father Daughter Dance,
Thank You
For the mother giving birth and raising babies while Daddy is away,
Thank You
For the Father missing life’s momentous occasions,
Thank You
For the Son who becomes Man of the House while Daddy is away,
Thank You
For the children missing their Mother’s Touch because she is deployed,
Thank You
For those unable to attend the funeral of a loved one,
Thank You
For the wounded receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center,
Thank You
For the Families caring for those wounded,
Thank You
For families living in on-base housing that is too small or rundown,
Thank You
To single sailors living in barracks with no hope of ever having privacy,
Thank You
To families who invite single military personnel over to share holiday meals,
Thank You
To the newlywed seeing their spouse off to war,
Thank You
To the many or few that show up at the airport to welcome our troops home,
Thank You
To those who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice,
Thank You
To God who promises “Peace That Passeth All Understanding,”
Thank You

Please do not use my words or photos without my permission.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Well, my last day at the office has come and gone and the wonderful people that I work with sent me off with beach-themed goodness (since we are headed to Virginia Beach). These ladies did a fabulous job. I want to thank everyone involved and it has been a pleasure serving the US Military through the legal office these past three years. I am honored and priviledged to have done so.


Presentation by our Deputy.

The Awesome Cake.

Target Gift Cards for my boys (office mascots.

Beach Ball Twin for Little Chief.

Wordless Wednesday

Code-Man and Little Chief