In Training

Wedding-y post

Wedding Wedding Wedding. 

Gotta tell you, my parents have been invaluable during this wedding process.  My Mom has done research, makes suggestions, great.  My Dad just constantly lets me know that it's "our" wedding and to do what makes us happy. 
I'm still putting off most of the decisions, simply because ... well, I just don't know.  I never spent time as a youngster imagining my perfect dream wedding.  This would probably be easier if I had! 

I'm thinking I'll go with Ranunculus flower-wise.  Or roses.  Not sure which yet, but those are the two choices!  White for the bridesmaids and red/some other dark color for me. 

Things to do this month:  interview and hire a photographer, take care of the wedding rings, (which was Royal's job, but he's not in a position to be able to do it) start looking at music, hair and make-up, finish addressing and send out the invitations, work on the catering, and um, a bunch of other stuff.

I just found out the other day that all of my aunts and uncles will be there!  They'll be coming into Southern Arizona from Northern Arizona, California, and China.  That really means a lot to me.  And THAT is why everything else is no big deal!

Things that I will have to adjust to while living in Britain

I'm looking forward to living in Britain (for a while!) but there are some things I'll have to get comfortable with...

1.  No drive-thru ATMs (I know, how do they live, right?!)

2.  No 24 hour ANYTHING - Some signs will say 24-hour, (Tesco) but they are lying.  Not cool.

3.  No freedom of protecting yourself - huge change for a girl that carries a gun & collects knives

4.  Paying for parking everywhere you go.  Even at grocery stores!! (though, to be fair, you can get your money back there if you remember to ask the cashier at the end of your exhaustive shopping trip).

5.  The food.  Love it, love it, love it!  But will have to start watching what I eat.

6.  Not adding tax to everything I buy.  It's already on there!

7.  Driving a tiny little stick-shift car on the wrong side of the road.  Always driven larger vehicles, now get to move into a tiny Vauxhall.  At least it's blue!

I know there's a couple more, but I'm drawing a blank.  Maybe next time.
Don't worry, Britain, I won't be complaining to y'all about any of this (don't lie, I know that's what you were thinking)   ;o)

Patriot Xeno adds: "Their skittles are different. They're mis-shapen AND they have boisenberry instead of grape. At least, that's how it was when I was there a while back."

Good one.  Though this will not make me adjust because I don't like the grape flavored skittles to begin with.

And since he mentioned fruits that can be related to juice, let me add #8:
8.  Different juice flavors (and soda, too, ex. Irn Bru) such as Blackcurrant.

Revisiting Zell Miller's

freakin' awesome 2004 Republican National Convention Address.

-- "Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator.

And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators.

Tell that -- Tell that to the one-half of Europe that was freed because Franklin Roosevelt led an army of liberators, not occupiers. Tell that to the lower half of the Korean Peninsula that is free because Dwight Eisenhower commanded an army of liberators, not occupiers. Tell that to the half a billion men, women and children who are free today from Poland to Siberia, because Ronald Reagan rebuilt a military of liberators, not occupiers.

Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier. And, our soldiers don't just give freedom abroad, they preserve it for us here at home.

For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press.

No one should dare to even think about being the Commander in Chief of this country if he doesn't believe with all his heart that our soldiers are liberators abroad and defenders of freedom at home."

I was commenting on the fact that President Bush has gone up in my estimation recently - mainly because he's been telling everyone where they can shove it (the man has got balls) - and my younger brother and father reminded me of this speech.  Enjoy.

England/Scotland '06 Part 3

The Wee Bake Shop!  You do hear people say "wee," but this was the first time I'd seen it used in print... on a shop sign. Crazy wonderful Scots. Photo taken from the car (!) which I did much of this time around.

Made a trip down to the harbor in Arbroath the night before we left.  Royal's mom always used to go there to think when she was younger, so it was nice being able to see her world.  Beautiful time of evening as well.

And, as many may already know, I like to take pictures of food.  And not just my food, and not just on trips, but that's another story...  This was the first meal I had out this trip, steak & ale pie - one of my favorites!

When in Arbroath, we stayed at a bed & breakfast (story to come about that place!) and had the following every morning - I'm a small girl, but I downed it every single time!  Well, minus the mushrooms and along with, of course, tea and orange juice.  I gave Royal my mushrooms and stole some of his beans daily  :o)  This was the ONE day without bacon, so imagine bacon on there,too!

Part 1 can be found right here
Part 2 can be found here!

Royal Marine's gift of love

Royal Marine Joseph Windall had left a diamond & silver necklace next to his bed in his barracks back home, to be given to his girlfriend (also serving, Air Force) if he were killed in Afghanistan.  The note with it said, "If anything happens to me, pass this to Jacqui." Windall was killed in action flying into Kandahar on an RAF Nimrod on September 2nd, 2006.  He was almost at the end of his six month tour. 

His mother had this to say:

-- "Despite her son’s death, Young, who lives in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said her support for the war would not waver. “I had a conversation with him before he left, and he said that I should never change my views on the war, whatever happened to him out there.

“Joe supported the war, and I supported the war and him fighting it, so because he’s died that doesn’t change anything for me.”

I became a little teary while reading this article. I think it's always there, in the back of your mind, that your loved one may not come back.  I can only hope that if that time ever comes for me, I'm able to carry through with class.  My prayers go out to the families and friends, and the soldiers that are fighting.

England/Scotland '06 Part 2

I'm very proud of (and interested in) what my guy does, not that you could tell from these photos.

40 Commando, Taunton

45 Commando (said as four five, NOT forty-five), Arbroath

That last one is my favorite - it even has two bullet (maybe real, maybe not) holes in it! 

You can check out the Royal Marine site for unit and camp information

England/Scotland '06 Part 1

Yeah I'm back.  I'm back and straight back to work, working overtime my first week (I know, boo hoo, right).  Also been trying to catch up on everyone else's blogs while neglecting my own.  This will change.... NOW.  I hope!  These are just a few of the almost 300 photos I took in my 3 weeks and 2 days with Royal.

This is the lovely Cerne Abbas Giant, who is known for his very large... feet.  This was one of the only days that was without sunshine the whole time I was there, even in Scotland!

Portion of Arbroath Abbey (Arbroath, Scotland) that they are helping to stabilize with new bricks.  The abbey is a really beautiful pinkish orange sort of color - the same color you'll see in houses throughout the town because people took them from the abbey to build homes. 

My new friend.  We met at Glamis Castle.

September 11th, 2001

I was a freshman in my first semester of university on September 11th, 2001.  I used to drive a red Ford Bronco, and I remember driving home in between classes that morning and hearing about the attacks on the radio.  When people ask me where I was when I heard the news, all I see is the red interior of that Bronco.  Classes were canceled, so I stayed home and watched the television with my family.  I couldn't believe it.

Today I feel empty.  There are American flags all over town, put up by the local Rotary Club.  I started crying on my way to work this morning, watching them flying.  I feel empty for the lives lost, but I truly feel proud of the people, American people, who stood up to help that day.  The people who stand up to help every day.  The troops who fight for me every day. 

I will never forget.