"Fast from thought of illness; feast on the healing power of God"
-- taken from Fasting and Feasting by William Arthur Ward
I would also add to the above quote "... and kale." Not to minimize the healing power of God, because I've seen it, but I think kale is pretty darned good at healing -- well, not just kale, but all veggies! As a matter of fact, I couldn't wait until lunch. I grazed on my kale salad as soon as I was out of court and, boy, was it good! But now what will I eat for lunch, my breakfast? I guess that's an option.
Did you have a nice Valentine's Day? Mine was special with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my sweetheart and a quick dinner at the local sandwich shop(pe) -- there, doesn't that make it sound more elite to say "shoppe"? I had every intent on making a nice spaghetti squash with a superb sauce for the top since it was just the two lovebirds at home (uh, that's me & my honey), but because a spaghetti squash takes almost an hour to bake and is usually cooked by the time I get home but it wasn't this time because of a late appointment, I looked to my empty fridge for something quick and that's when those magical words were spoken... "Let's go for Valentine Thai." I declined the invite for Thai after our last bad experience at this particular restaurant, so we settled on veggie sandwiches, which I love anyway! We had the whole "shoppe" to ourselves. It was pretty funny.
We came home and had some Teeccino, breakfast cookies, and brownies with nut icing. It was an evening made in heaven.
I am so thankful today is Friday. I am also thankful that Monday is a holiday. Thank you, Mr.s Lincoln and Washington! I will be thinking of you as I soak in the pools at the spa on Monday! (That is if I have time.)
This week has seemed so long. I think maybe it's because this Mama's stress level has been through the roof for three weeks now. You see, our son (our only child, mind you) told us exactly three weeks ago today that he had gone to the Armed Services Recruiting Office to talk to somebody. What does that mean, you say? That means he has gone through the process and yesterday enlisted in the Army! In two months he will be leaving for Basic Training. Because of his chosen MOS -- Military Police -- his Advanced Training comes right after Basic, so there is no break, no graduation, no visit home... nothin' for 19 weeks (and one day).
Am I okay with this? Well, what's a mom to do? Can't very well tell an adult what to do, now can we? The more we protest, the more determined kids get. I am very proud of him for wanting to serve our country, and a smidge extra proud that he's following his dad's lead in becoming a police officer. I'm gonna miss him like crazy and even as I sit here typing this, I tear up, get a lump in my throat and want to call up the recruiting office and make up some good story about why he can't go. But I won't do that. That would not be good for either of us. At some point we must let our babies go. Oh, sure, he's gone many times. He has worked at Boy Scout camps during the summer since he was 14; last year he went on an adventure for two and a half months that took him all the way across the country. He's done many things that make me worry, but this takes the cake! It's a big commitment. Five years is a long time away from home.
Remember how I said dinners were important to me, spending time around the table sharing stories and laughing? Well, there will be one less laugh at the table for a while, one less plate to set, one fewer story to hear. I just hope he remembers where we live and will find his way back us eventually. So it looks like for the next five years we've got a couple of open seats at the table if anyone would like to join us. I promise only a small serving of kale and Brussels sprouts!
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| This pencil holder was made when Alex was just two I still have it on my desk. He's come a long way from macaroni art |
Have a great weekend. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make... I wonder if I look under "Army" or under "Recruiters" in the Yellow Pages.
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