Boston Marathon Explosions

Apothic Wines...Intriguing

Who doesn't enjoy a nice glass of wine?  Well...maybe not everyone, but I do.  For those of you who don't, I suggest perhaps you have never had a good glass of wine...but I digress.  I recently stumbled across an advertisement on Facebook for Apothic Wines.  The ad was specific for he new summer limited edition Rose blend with a big luscious flavor of watermelon & strawberry.  Sounds delicious!

Apothic wines name is inspired by "Apotheca," a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe, and  the wines of Apothic are truly unique in style and taste.  I have had the pleasure of enjoying a bottle of Apothic White, a blend of Chardonnay,  Moscato, and Riesling.   I enjoyed the fruity taste leaning towards peachy and found it to be very much to my liking.  I added it to my mental lists of "wines to buy".   I am looking forward to trying their Rose blend.   Check back with me for my thoughts...or give me your own.  

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Be safe.

Who Knew Naming A Puppy Would Be So Hard????

My goodness I had no idea it would be so hard for my significant (here forward referred to by his name - Dan) other & I to come to an agreement on the name of the new puppy we got on Friday night, April 12th, 2013.  Or should I say, I never knew how stubborn he could be...

Our new puppy is a Brittany.  I have been a dog person all my life, and fell in love with the Brittany years ago while I was raising, training, and showing Siberian Huskies.  Dan was more of a little dog person having had a tiny toy poodle before & then one we shared together.  

We were obviously dog lovers, but after both our dogs passed, we figured we were done with dog ownership.  I think maybe I wore him down & got him to take a look at the Brittany.  He hunts & we live in a hunting rich area now, so he did a little homework on them & liked what he saw.  

Once he made up his mind that he liked the breed, I had to slow him down a little since he was anxious to get one.  We researched a couple breeders, and let one fall by the way side before we found Lakeside Brittanys.  After speaking to Lisa (the owner) we put down a deposit & waited for what we wanted.  A female red & white puppy with nice markings & good personality.  

OUR GIRL WAS BORN 

February 15, 2013

Since the puppy was a hunting dog, Dan, wanted a nature related, or woodsy name.  I can dig that.  No problem.  The problem became that he was hell bent on calling this cute little thing Hazelnut.

Hazelnut?  Surely he could not be serious.  Surely I was wrong.  

What would we call her?  Hazel?  

So, okay...I figured I had at least 8 weeks to come up with an alternative name that fit his criteria and that he would like.  I don't know about anyone else, but the name has to fit the dog, and she is definitely NOT Hazelnut. 

I started throwing names out.  Lilly, Bella, Portia, Lexie, Rocket, & Starla.

No. No. No. No. No. and No.

I scoured websites for appropriate names.  I asked for suggestions, and boy did I get them.  This went on for about 5 weeks & I still could not get him to budge from Hazelnut.  I was now starting to panic.

How could I possibly let this little cutie end up with the name Hazelnut???

I am not sure why, or how it happened, but Dan announced he had come up with a new name.  I was excited because I figured it couldn't possibly be worse then Hazelnut.  Then he laid it on me.

JUNEBUG???

Please, god no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   First of all, I hate bugs.  Secondly, I didn't think it could get worse then Hazelnut, but boy, was I wrong!!!

My gears now went into overdrive.  The clock was ticking & I had to come up with a name...FAST!

I continued to ask for assistance from my friends & family via that wonderful social networking site called none other then Facebook.  Every name I came up with, he shot down.  I even tried the old Diodji.  It made me bristle, but it would be better then Hazelnut or Junebug.  

At some point, someone came up with the name "Twigs".  I wasn't crazy about it, but, again, it was better then his a for mentioned names.

I continued my search for the name she was born to have.  I did not want to settle for less then that, but all my names got the same response. 

No.

Days passed & we were no closer to a name that we both loved then day 1.  The day came to pick her up & we still had no name.  I just figured it would come to me.  When I saw Dan holding her, it did.  She was Remmie.  I knew this was the name she was born to have.  It also fit all Dan's criteria.  It was short for Remington (rifle) which has to do with hunting.  It was easy.  It was unique.  It was a nod to her daddy whose name is Gunny.  I could not be happier.  I knew this was her name & I was sure Dan would give it his stamp of approval.  

My heart was just broken since I knew this was the name she was born to have.  Dan's response.  Not unique enough.  UGH!  Try as I might, I could not convince him to embrace the name.  I tried for 2 days.  No go.  I could not stand the fact that we had this cute little puppy & she had no name.  She deserved a name.  

I went back to the drawing board & browsed 3,150 names, throwing out suggestions as I browsed. 

Willow, Poppy, Brooke, Daizee, Skye, Razzy, Pixie, Bindy, Scout, Bullet, and finally Cami (camoflage).

At this point, I am at the end of my wits.  I just want her to have a name.  Dan announces to me that our daughter-in-law came up with a name I will like.  He tells me.  I still don't feel this is her name, but I will live with it, and I will get used to it.

Meet our beautiful peanut.

Meet G.G./Gigi

I invite your comments.  What do you think of the name?

Cowgirl Tuff Clothing - Ed Hardy Meets Casual Chic..Love It!

If you are a little funky...like me....you will love the Funky Cowgirl!

The Funky Cowgirl not only sells clothing that is fantastic & funky...they also feature jewelry, purses, shoes, belts, and hats.  All of it has that country edgy slightly Ed Hardy infused style.   They also have a sale section to browse, The Funky Cowgirl 

Check out some of their amazing styles.....

Visit their website at:

http://www.thefunkycowgirl.com/

Okinawa......Fantastic!!!!!

I must admit, approximately 20 years ago when I was married to SSG Tom Wheelock & he got his orders that he was going to be stationed in Okinawa, Japan, I was more then a little nervous.  I am a Midwestern girl, born & raised & until then, I had never been out of the country.  I pulled up Okinawa on Google & saw where it was....  WOW!

That, for sure is a long way from home...and quite honestly...it freaked me out!  First of all, we were not command sponsored, and that means, we do not get base housing.  We had housing allowance, but had to find a house, off base.  My ex knew the drill, but I was a total rookie & as such, just slightly nervous.  None the less, I was committed to my husband, and I started doing my homework.  I researched the country, the customs, and the language.  I tried learning some of it.  I did my best to prepare myself for a major culture shock.    The day came to move, and nothing could have prepared me for that flight.  18 hours.  There is no way to be comfortable on an 18 hour plane ride.  No way.  I also was introduced to exactly what Jet Lag is. He is definitely not my friend, but I also found out how to keep him away....sleep.  It's the only way.

After our lovely flight, we finally arrived at the Naha airport.   We proceeded by cab (as I recall) to Kadena AFB for in processing & temporary lodging.  Almost immediately I was struck by the bustle & traffic in Naha City, Okinawa's capital.

 Cars driving on the left side of the road, scooters zipping in an out of traffic.  Yep.  I am not in Minnesota anymore.  There was so much to take in.  I was in awe.  Most of the street signs & business signs were in Kanji, Japanese writing.  Yikes!  I wasn't sure how I would ever know what was what.  Be that as it may, onward we go.  It was about a 30 minute drive before we got to Kadena Air Force base where we would stay while were were processed & found off base housing.

Of course, my husband had to tend to his duties, but we also started exploring... immediately.    I had no idea just how small Okinawa is.  As I recall it is 60 miles long (or so) and no more then 13 miles wide at it's widest point.  I was also captivated by the beauty of it & the very tropical climate they have year round.

I have always loved the ocean & was so excited to be able to live in it's backyard & I became determined to embrace it & the Japanese culture.  Me and my ex rented bikes & headed out on them between his in processing & before he had to report to his new post.  One of the first things we discovered was Kadena Air Force bases Gate 2 street.  This a shopper's paradise & have everything you can imagine.  Not to mention, most US servicemen frequent the shops there & most vendors speak fluent English.  

We hit the streets & we hit the beach.  We had to find a house, and we did in a small prefecture called Yomitan Village.  We met our landlord and explored the neighborhood.  The streets were so narrow & no sidewalks, so you have to watch it while walking or biking.  Our place was up a small hill & our neighbor was a Japanese Holy Man, of some sort.  When Okinawa had it's Obon Festival, the celebration came right to his house & we got front row seats.  It was awesome.

  Buisness in Yomitan Village

Obon Festival Performers.

I settled in & set up house after our stuff arrived from the US.  I attended classes the Army offered that acclamated newbies to how to behave, etc in Okinawa.  Little by little, I learned the basic Japanese phrases & ventured out to local stores & outings in Yomitan Village.  I hit antique shops, not much different from what we have here.  Many natives spoke fluent English   Those that didn't, were accommodating & we always came to a meeting of the minds.  I would go to our local Grocery Store & buy snacks, food & binto. (premade Japanese lunches) Much like subs, or salalds you can buy at convenience stores...but Japanese style.  They are delish!

My husband was Army & stationed at Torii Station which was only a couple miles from our place.  All of the bases on Okinawa have restaurants that feature both traditional American cuisine as well as Japanese.  They also have bingo & slot machines.   I found myself in Heaven..  

 Many days I would ride my bike to Torii Station,  In route, it took me past a school & every day, the Japanese school kids would run up to the gate and say Hello, or Peace & flash the peace sign.  They were so cute & friendly.  It was a treat to ride by there.

My husband & I thoroughly explored our new home.  We saw it all.  There is a book we bought called "Okinawa...Where Is It", that we were told to buy.  It told us where to go & how to get there.  Since most signs are in Kanji, it explained what landmarks to look for & how to follow them.  Japan is so rich in culture & it was the 50th anniversary of WW2 when I was there.  I was a little apprehensive about visiting some shrines where Japanese soldiers were decimated at the hands of US troops, but I never got anything but respect.

Learning to drive on the "wrong" side of the road, as was adjusting back when we left Okinawa was a challenge.  We lived in this beautiful place for 2 years.  I spent many hours beach combing.  I found a couple glass fishing floats that washed up on the beach after storms.  I saw old battle sites & castle ruins.  I saw zoos & tropical gardens,  I snorkeled & had occasional freak outs when typhoons moved in.  We got to see Japanese Geisha's perform at many local festivals.  It was stunning.

When we were scheduled to leave, we packed up stuff we did not want to bring back with us & sold it at the Gate 2 (or Gate 5...not sure) flea market.  Locals & servicemen stationed in Okinawa use it to buy & sell.  It gets wild & it's free.

All the pictures I have posted are stock pictures.  I will post some personal ones at a later date.  Living overseas was a once in a life time experience that I will always remember, treasure & consider myself lucky to have had an opportunity to do.