iGoogle

So....I've been up early again and playing with google. I CANNOT use Outlook over here...some sort of strange thing with the ISP.

I use gmail (which I'm not loving), but have really missed a calendar. I created a google calendar. I saved it to igoogle. I created a gadget with Bre's photo and countdown and saved it to igoogle. I added a time clock (with lots of zones as I'm calling all sorts of places these days) and a weather gadget. This allows me to remove them from my blog so it loads quicker.

Have any of you found a gadget that lists calorie counts for various foods. I see lots of them, but thought if someone had one they recommend, I'd do that.

What other gadgets do you all like? I had movies on it from San Angelo - but haven't found one here yet. It STILL shows San Angelo on the side and I can't get rid of it. LOL The Politics in the sidebar is dated - Drudge headline reads "Clinton still not convinced Obama can win in the fall". ::snort:: I've refreshed. Can't seem to delete those side bar things.

There are even a few homeschool gadgets.

I had loaded homeschool toolbar but it did bad things to my laptop so I uninstalled it. Google toolbar also does bad things to my laptop. LOL I'm finding I can create most of the things I loved on the toolbars on iGoogle - without the crash or security issues.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

BEST MOMENTS OF THE DAY

We were able to talk to both of Mike's sisters and his parents.

We were not able to reach my brothers or parents....and will try again tomorrow.

We DID reach all the kids....can you believe it? It was LATE their time....but Bre and the boys were on and we talked until Krista was home from her cleaning job and joined in....all of us around our computers....

We began talking and it was Thanksgiving here....we ended and it was Thanksgiving in TX....we had dinner, checked back in and they were still talking...so Jared joined them until it was Thanksgiving in OR. ::snort::

Especially amazing is THIS: We told the kids we needed to sign off and eat our meal. Bre said, "Pray first"....and we did. We were able to all pray together on Thanksgiving Day - though we were in OR, TX and Oriase Town, Japan. What a gift.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Hardest Moment of the Day

Since our turkey determined we'd have a late lunch/early dinner......we set up our new tree. We left our big tree in the states. We didn't fully realize what Christmas would be like in a Buddhist country. We thought we'd buy real trees for our years here....but they don't sell them on every corner around here. ::snort::

We bought a cheap artificial tree at the BX....it was PRE-LIGHTED....and a breeze to set up.

We couldn't find the Christmas music, but found one CD - Celtic Christmas. We put it on to decorate. Stacia hopped up, danced around with her doll...threw her doll on the ground....and in tears said, "There's just NO ONE to dance with around here!"

Ah - I teared up. Josiah and Jamin are her dancing partners. Josiah danced her around the living room from the time she was 2 weeks old.

Her brothers hopped to.....

THEN we heard the familiar Skye ring in....and it was JOSIAH. He's never called on HIS computer and we've never been able to reach him. It was VERY late in TX....but he was on at just the right time to talk with Stacia. They had a precious talk.....and then we all joined in.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Spam Comments

I've had the blog 5 1/2 years without a problem. The past few weeks someone is sending spam to my comment section. Mostly links - which I've not checked, though some are for male enhancements and such - and sometimes long comments in some other language.

I thought there was a way to block one person - but can't find that. Does anyone know how you can do that?

The other option would be to put word verification on the blog. I hate those things, I can never get it right the first time, but it would stop spam.

I thought it would be easy to delete as they came in but now it's getting tedious. I think its one or two sending all of them.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Turkey Emergency

I followed the advice of vetran Misawa spouses. I bought a turkey early....because they don't sell on the economy and we wanted one. (I should do a post about meat shopping.)

This year, I decided to follow the advice of all you susie homemaker types....I thawed it in the fridge. Guess what? Three days in the fridge and it's still a brick.

No, it's NOT my turkey...stay with me here. ::snort::

Not to fear....simply soak it in SALT WATER and it will thaw quickly. I've done it this way for decades and no one's died.

I've not said a lot on the blog, becuase there's nothing to be gained by depressing my family, but I've been strugging with the holidays this year. No matter what I tell myself....it is simply different for men and women childs to be thousands of miles away instead of a couple of miles or hundreds of miles away. I've tried to do the mind games...it isn't the same. I miss them. I'm TERRIBLY proud of them. I simply wish they'd waited until Mike and I signed off on this "growing up" thing. ::snort::

In case you fear I've been stuffing emotions, I've not. I DID share with the ladies who meet out here on Thursday. I shared with a couple of older moms last night. You know what? EVERY one of them has given me a hug, teared up, said they know...and that they'll be praying for me. I love military spouses. I love OLD MOTHERS. ::Snort:: I woke up this a.m. DETERMINED to focus on all that I have to be thankful for....and the list is long.

The turkey is still taking a salt water bath, but since I was in a funk, we have no plans for the day. No one coming over, no where to be....we'll let it take it's time, we'll probably get out Christmas decorations (because I found them when I was looking for the Nesco pan), we'll play games, try to Skype....really....it's not terrible.....I think that "Christmasy feeling" is right around the corner.....it's been a little delayed and foggy this year due to my "baby blues" ::snort:: YES I CAN HAVE BABY BLUES EVEN IF MY BABIES ARE ANCIENT! ...but it's on the way.

And for those who must know about menus: TURKEY, garlic bread or maybe bread from the bakery, salad, corn, ranch potatoes....a chocolate pecan pie and apple pie are waiting....I've spent hours in the Word this a.m.

ELMENDORF ladies....I've finally learned what you tried to lovingly teach me all those years ago....I'm a Mary today in a Martha world...and I'm loving it....except for the babies being in America thing....you know there ARE colleges over here and TWO of them want to be missionaries and there ARE lots of BUSINESS COLLEGES over here.....

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

"Baby God"

Having spent some years in the South, I've gotten used to calling my little ones "baby girl" and "baby boy" and well....you get the idea.

Yesterday at chapel Stacia cracked me up....she was rocking a doll from the chapel and said, "My baby God, you're such a sweet God. Mommy loves you."

Thought I'd share.
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

This and That

It's been cold the last week...cold to us...or to me. ::snort:: Cold enough that we've begun leaving the heat on the living floor on the lowest setting all day. That seems to take the chill off the whole house.....

It's been overcast....I'd forgotten we had mountains around us. It was a treat on Sunday to SEE the mountains. Today was a gorgeous day....until late afternoon when the chill overpowered the sun's rays.

This is a short Holiday week and so our schedule is a bit off.

Yesterday the kids had a great piano lesson. I worked on the Protestant News, as it needed to be done early. On the way to take Jared to Cross Training (PYOC), we stopped at the new bakery Tane had told us about. YUM. We must all troop in there one day soon to practice our Japanese. The owner was very appreciatitve of all we bought. The bread is HEAVENLY. I told Jared it's SO GOOD, but I'm sure it's not whole grain...he told me not to think about it and to eat it. That's a common phrase around here lately. LOL

Today was PWOC. I've been the interim Children's Ministry Coordinator and will be through Dec. I have come to love this job, but I'm committed to stepping down in December. That makes me sad...I realize the need for Children's ministry if we hope to minister to young spouses....the chapel is advertising to hire someone for his spot and I'm praying that someone will soon feel the call to step into that position. What a ministry it is. I simply think I need to be home on Tuesday a.m. in order to make steady progress with our youngest students. They aren't able to do much independent work in the homeschool room....but they love going! It's been a hard choice.

We had lunch at the food court today and were happy to be joined by others with the same idea...Susane, Ricky and Renee and Mike. Good lunch, good fellowship....

We moved our language lesson to this afternoon. Akiko surprised us with a bunch of apples - lingos (ringos but pronounced lingos). She told me the mid size red ones will work for pies....we shall see. They smell good. We surprised her with a pastry from our new favorite bakery....with a name I can't read.

Tomorrow I'll bake pies in the a.m., host our ladies for Bible Study and then we have an ecumenical Thanksgiving Service and Pie Social in the evening.

I'm not really feeling the season at this point. So.....didn't make any plans to invite friends over....but a family day will be nice. Arielle doesn't seem keen on the idea of going to the onsen after lunch. It could be because all the boys broke into a rousing chorus of, "What makes the red man red?" from Peter Pan when I suggested it. ::snort:: I really need to get busy and make some plans for Advent. The season is here even though I keep insisting 2009 can't possibly be coming to an end. What a year it has been.

A few photos from the past week The pond is certainly showing signs of fall....and is now easy to spot from the road
It was snowing on this walk...didn't quite grasp we'd be wearing these when we ordered them from TX.
Skype....
Brrr.....I begged him to put on a coat and he said, "But MOM.....I'm a TEXAN!" Which he is.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...