Home Canned Cranberries.

I've always loved cranberry juice, it's the only kind of juice I truly care for. Dried cranberries also hold a special place in my heart but I never had an affinity for cranberry sauce until last year. I had bought a can for my little Thanksgiving feast and decided to try it and I quickly fell in love, not surprisingly. When my uncle offered to get me some cranberries during harvest that year I had jumped at the chance and made my own homemade version of the sauce. We had it at Thanksgiving dinner this year and I really feel like I could eat it every single day. I think what really puts it over the top is the addition of ground clove. Now to devise a meat free sandwich to stuff with cranberry sauce.

Oh, and isn't my mom's china lovely? I always liked using it as a kid but was scared to death of washing them in case I dropped one but I never did so it turned out alright in the end.

Oh Thanksgiving.

print by RetroModernArt

Although Thanksgiving has never really been a big deal to me because I don't eat meat and most of the fun is stuffing your face with meat, I still really enjoy it. I get to hang out with my family, whom I love dearly. Last year I made my first Thanksgiving feast at our own house because Jake and I were in Idaho at the time and couldn't get to any family. We had a friend over but ended up spending half the evening in the ER to find out Jake had bronchitis. The food turned out great but we never did sit down at the table and have our little feast. Instead, most of it went in the fridge and we had leftovers.

This year Jake is in Arizona at his sister's where his family usually celebrates Thanksgiving. I really wanted to go, I just love his niece and nephews, but I didn't feel quite up to the 12 day trip so instead I'm staying home with the pets. I'll be celebrating turkey day at both my mom's and then my dad's. My mom is one of those kind souls who always makes sure everyone she knows has a place to spend the holidays. It's fun to go to her Thanksgiving dinner because you never know who will be there and what interesting people you may meet.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday.

Support.

Having a support system is an important part of life. It can consist of friends, family, co-workers, or even online blogging or gaming friends you've never met. What matters is that they care about you and support you. Jake and I are lucky enough to have a large and caring support system, for which we're very thankful.

Recently I've expanded my support system by attending a women's group for the significant others of those suffering from PTSD. It's a small group and usually just a handful of people show up, but I like that it's small, you really get to know the other ladies and their stories. Just being around other people who truly understand what having a spouse with PTSD is like is really comforting. They can relate in a way others can't and can give advice or share from their own experiences.

Everyone is a different age and our spouses fought in different wars, the PTSD manifests in different ways in our loved ones, and yet our lives are so similar. We all keep constant vigilance, searching for the tiniest signs of a problem, we all know our loved one's triggers, we all have the same worries. It's nice to have the instant bond that comes with having similar experiences.

For me, the most beneficial thing is speaking to the women whose husbands have been dealing with PTSD since Vietnam, almost 40 years ago. It's nice to learn from their experience, and to see that although your spouse may never live a life without PTSD, they can still have a full and rewarding life. Being able to ask questions about their experiences is invaluable. I'm not sure if I ever want to have children, but Jake's PTSD is a real concern of mine, and his, when it comes to having a family. The fact that I can ask these ladies how their husbands dealt with their PTSD in regard to raising children and the effect that has had on the family is incredibly beneficial, even if it's only anecdotal evidence.

I'm thankful we've moved into a VA system that actually gives a damn. In our previous cities, nobody remembered who you were or cared what was going on in your life. Here they refer us to doctors outside of the VA if the wait is too long or if they don't have what we need locally. They call to ask how I'm doing, not just Jake, and they recognize our faces and remember our story when we walk in. It's such a different environment, and such a relief.

Christmas Wishlist.

Awhile back my sister mentioned that she didn't know what to get me for my birthday and that when she looked through the things I had favorited on etsy, she knew some of the things I had hearted were not my taste and I likely had them in mind as gifts for others. So in an attempt to make things easier for her, I made a wishlist of some of the things I liked, all in one easy to access place. I need to update it as I've found a lot of other things I prefer on etsy lately. I just wanted to share with you in case you are a difficult to shop for person. The holiday season is coming up and making your own wishlist treasury might be helpful for your loved ones. In fact, because of this wishlist, I am now the proud owner of that adorable Arrow Ring. Thanks, sis!

Veteran's Day.

Today I just want to thank all of our veterans. They come from many backgrounds, and enlist for a variety of reasons, but they all come together to do a job that is difficult and at times very dangerous. Thank you vets, for your bravery. I also want to recognize military families. I don't know if there is such a thing as military family day but there should be. The sacrifices made by military families are considerable and yet many of them do it with such grace and dignity.

A special thanks to my vet. Jake, you are one of the best people I know. Life has been especially hard for you since you returned from Iraq but you still face every day with the courage and fight that is part of your very core. I admire you so much and love you even more.



Here is a photo Jake took while on guard duty of an Iraqi sunset back in 2005. I'd love to go visit someday.

Again, it's hope.

I just realized that I have been blogging for over 4 years. I only came to this realization as I was trying to find the post I wrote last time Obama was elected President. I was so hopeful then, and I find that, surprisingly, I still am. I think a lot of good fights were won last night all over the country. Now that the election season has reached it's culmination, I feel proud to be American once again. I'm excited for the next 4 years and I'm hopeful that, because he no longer has to play nice, Obama will take off his kiddie gloves and play some hardball with Congress. So on the night of my third election as a voter, I find my hope and excitement renewed. I'm sure there will be many times I'm upset with our President, but I'm happy this crisis has been averted for now. And even though our political system has become quite ridiculous, I'm thankful I live in a country where I'm able to cast a ballot at all. Here's to the next 4 years, may they be peaceful and prosperous.

Happy Voting!

It's my favorite day, election day! I love exercising my right to vote. I spend hours studying measures and reading both sides, always trying to make an informed decision. Voting empowers me and leaves me feeling not only like I've fulfilled a sense of duty but also made those who came before me proud. I dropped off my ballot last week. If your state does the poll thing or you have yet to drop yours off, please don't forget to get out and vote. I know a lot of people are disheartened and don't feel like their vote matters, or will change anything. Please remember that not only are you voting for the President, but you're voting on local issues too, that will directly affect your life and community. Voting is important. It hasn't even been 100 years yet that women have been able to vote and that right is something I never ever want to take for granted. Especially now, when my rights as a woman are being threatened and attacked everyday.

So please, if you weren't planning on doing anything with that ballot, google your local measures or bust out that voter's guide and review it. You might find something has been proposed that could change your community in a big way, and I hope you get your say in it.

If you need further convincing, Jes at The Militant Baker has a great 8 Reasons to Vote post up right now.

Weekly Scenes.

I took my mom's dog to get her picture with Santa this weekend and in addition to the doggy treats they hand out, they also gave some amazing candy made locally at Cranberry Sweets, including awesome chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick. I shared with Jake, but I really wanted to keep it for myself. The next day I went and made Christmas cards at my mom's house for about 5 hours. She teaches a card class every month and already had paper cut and designs ready, which made it so nice and easy. I also took my "welcome to our home" sign down and changed it into a dry erase board that now hangs by our bed. It saves me so much paper to write my list up there instead of in a notebook.

I Scream for Ice Cream.

Last night I went over to my mom and step-dad's for an I scream ice cream party. Jake had to raid so he missed out on the fun but I made sure to bring home some cupcakes and vampire fangs for him so I think he's okay. They had all of their neighbors over for the party and it was pretty fun. The house was decorated and even had a cardboard cutout of Bela Lugosi as Dracula. I have no idea where they found that but it's pretty damn cool. I'm glad I was able to go do something for Halloween. We never get trick-or-treaters where we live and it always bums me out. I love handing out candy to adorably dressed little children.