Posts and the lack there of...

How long has it been?
One year?
Two?
How ever long; it has BEEN to long. What I know is I have a stalker. I see from my page view count that my stalker visits me almost every day. I welcome you stalker! :-) You should introduce yourself and we should get to know each other.

Much has happened in the months I have left you all behind. MUCH!

I have moved half way around the world. As many of you know I lived on RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom for 7 years. I cant say I loved EVERY minute of it but I did enjoy living there a great deal. I have enjoyed every opportunity that the wonderful Air Force has given me and my family throughout these last 20 years. BUT it was time to come back to America. Or in the words of my dear Alivia, Americer.

We had been away from the good ol' USA for over 11 years and it was no longer conducive to my calling myself an American for me to live outside of the United States. (That and I really really really really missed shopping at Target for my everyday products) Don't get me wrong I have a LIST, a BIG LIST,  of what I am missing from the places I have lived in but we will get into that another day.

We now live, in my Hubs words, YEE HAW Texas. My husband got orders to Dyess AFB. I have to admit that I was NOT happy to be coming here. I had not heard many nice things about living in Abilene. But I have to tell you all....THEY WERE WRONG! Though Dyess AFB is rather bleak and dreary. And the people that work on the base for the most part are negative and bitchy, Abilene is WONDERFUL, and I do not use that phrase very often.

In the few months we five have lived here, (5 meaning Delilah, Josh, Myself, Shadow and Patches), I have experienced so many wonderful things that I have never in my entire military affiliated life had ever experienced. I have been blown away by the kindness, the appreciation that the people of Abilene show the military members of Dyess AFB.

A few weeks ago I was driving off base early one morning. I saw a HUGE group of people standing right outside the base. The first thing that came to my mind was, "freaken fantastic! Another group of stupid M*&%^&^ F^^%$@##$% protesting SOMETHING ELSE!"
As I got closer I rolled down my window so that I could hear what the stupid M*&%^&^ F^^%$@##$% were actually saying. I was also able to read the signs. I took a picture but it came out awful.

Outside Dyess AFB 11 April 2012

When I was able to read the signs they said, "good job" and the M*&%^&^ F^^%$@##$%^* were yelling "thank you!"
I felt awful and ashamed for thinking the things I thought about them. In my defense all I have EVER seen is negativity towards the military.
To say the least, it brought me to tears.  Their kindness made me feel so wonderful and proud to live in this town. I am usually VERY proud of my hubs but this just made me feel so good. I cannot begin to describe the feeling of warmth I felt.


This past weekend we were invited to the "Worlds largest Barbeque".
Every year, for the past 47 years, the Abilene civic center has sponsored the Worlds Largest Barbeque. At least 3,000 people attend every year. Food is served to Active duty military, Guard, Reserve and their families. And let me tell you, the food is WONDERFUL. My daughter could not get enough of the sausage, I LOVED the coleslaw, and I hate coleslaw, and my hubs LOVED the BBQ sauce.

In the speeches given by those who organized it they were quoted as the reason they did this was, "Just to say thank you, thank you for what you do every day, thank you for your service and your sacrifices, we get all our volunteers and they pull together this one day a year and we have folks come out and say thank you by feeding them barbecue and catering to them."

As we were leaving the Worlds Largest Barbeque we were handed a flyer. A flyer for a zoo event next month. COMPLETELY free for all military and their families to include lunch.
I cannot get over the generosity of this city. I cannot help but ponder maybe staying here even after we retire.

I know this post has nothing to do with baking or cooking with Mrs. Baker but it was HOPEFULLY my jump back in. I do miss you all.

I will see you soon stalker! And everyone else!! ;-)