The Military "Ball"

A couple of weeks ago, my husband informed me that we were invited to a Chaplain Banquet and Ball.  So, I panicked a little, but I was really excited.  The highest ranking Chaplain, a 2 Star General was going to be attending. It would be an honor to be present at such an event.  So, I started planning for the 237th Anniversary Regimental Army Chaplain Military Ball. Did I mention that I have never been to such an event before?

My first dilemma was, of course, what to wear.
Did I need to wear a dress like Cinderella? It is a Ball, after-all. 
In actuality, the modern Army Dress Uniform is similiar to the Prince from Cinderella's uniform, except for the color.  There is a lovely gold stripe on the blue pants.

Personally, as far as Cinderella goes, I prefer Ever After.  Drew Barrymore's character is one I identify with. Stubborn, outspoken, opinionated, and her dress was awesome. But, this one didn't seem right for the event.  The wings were a little much.

I asked friends who have attended such events, and read military wives' blogs regarding proper etiquette and dress for military balls.  I became terrified!  And I am not one to really care if caddy women look down on my style, but still.  According to some of these blogs, there are always a gaggle of awful women at these events that look for any excuse to look down at you.  And according to these blogs, you must wear full legnth gowns and not show any cleavage.   Since I didn't have much time, finding the perfect dress was going to be a problem, I looked in a number of stores, but didn't see anything that I would want to wear, even if it was appropriate.  I don't care for sequins, or strapless styles, or rhinestones, or hot pink.  I wanted a simple brown, or black dress that was classic, but with definite style.
My husband, who loves my style and was not worried that I would embarass him in the least, initially told me that I should go with a Lauren Bacall look.  He says I look like her, which is a huge compliment.

So I decided to go for the gloves.  Opera Length, and I didn't really care if they are what's in style right now.  Because they should be.  They are awesome, and instantly give a girl glamour and style and sophistication.

So the above look was what I was going for,  and I happened to have a singer-songwriter-actress friend who has a wardrobe of awesome dresses.  I borrowed one of her black dresses, and I am so glad I did, because after going to several consignment shops and other stores, I found NOTHING I liked half as much.

So, this is what I ended up wearing.

It was a lot of fun, and the dress was so comfortable.
My thoughts on our first Military Ball the day after...
1.  Nobody really cared what I wore, except for my husband ;), everyone was too concerned about themselves to care what a lowly First Lieutenant's wife wore!  So I basically stressed over nothing, I was going to wear this outfit from day one, and only considered doing something else because of all of that silly online advice.

2. The food was awesome, and during dinner was an excellent live JAZZ band!  I was so ready to get up and dance but dancing wasn't until AFTER the formal events (the schedule is pretty serious).  Unfortunately, the dance music afterwards was a modern dj with the electric slide, and hiphop music.  I didn't have enough to drink for THAT kind of dancing!  I was a little disappointed.

3. I now know what to expect.  Every range of formality in dress was present, from mother of the bride formal to prom dresses, to fancy church dresses.  I don't think any kind of dress would have stuck out.

4.  I LOVE my husbands dress uniform.  Call me silly, but it is so classy, and I felt like he was my Prince Charming ;)  Which is true, anyway.


5.  It truly was an honor meeting the 2 Star General.  He had such a strong, gentle, humble air about him. A true hero.

6.  I hope someone finds this blog, who is worried about their first military formal and is able to relax about the event and enjoy it!

THREE AND 1/2 weeks until we leave for Fort Hood, Texas!   So excited about our new military life!

Rambling On

I have always struggled with naming my online usernames and such.  I have gone through a few different ones and they never seemed right.  And then it came to me.

My dad always called me Rebikulous.  It was a rather a clever play on my name Rebekah and the word ridiculous, of course, which seemed to fit my illogical actions and ideas ever since I was a small child.    He had other descriptions and names for me too.  BEKALAH, Dolly, Daisy...

So, now I am resurrecting the old name and using it.  I am ridiculous and I am not going to try to escape the truth any longer.

My husband always thought the name was hilarious.
When POD came out with a certain song, in which "ridiculous" was being sang over and over, guess what he sang instead...

If I learned anything this past year, it is not to take myself too seriously, so I am not sure if this will be part of my new art/business as I move, but I am considering it.  

What do you think?  Art by Rebikulous?  Rebikulous Art?  Rebikulous Designs?  

Stone Heart

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

C. S. Lewis

The journey begins..

About 8 years ago, my husband told me, "I need to go to school to be a pastor."
I thought he was joking.

He was in his early 30s at the time.  He was a successful regional sales manager for GE.  He sold high tech access control systems to large corporations and he covered all of New England and upstate NY.  That day, he had been sitting outside of an office of a CEO of some large company, waiting.  He was about to do some demo or sales pitch.  Suddenly, he was overcome with  the sense that he wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing.  That he needed to do something else, and that had to do with ministry of some sort.  I think it was a supernatural epiphany. 

I thought he was joking, because he jokes about everything and also because my husband does not fit into the "pastor" mold.  He enjoys heavy loud music with angry lyrics, not christian contemporary.  He drinks beer and enjoys cigars.  He doesn't shy away from controversy or difficult situations, he embraces them.  So, no, a typical church probably wouldn't work.  We have had several friends tell him, "I don't go to church and I am not a church person, but if you were the pastor, I would go." Maybe it would have worked, but not as well, as what he has been chosen for.

About six months ago, he received a call from Washington DC informing him that he was chosen to become  an active duty Army Chaplain. He began his basic training last week. It is ironic because it will be 20 years this August since he went through basic training the first time.  (He was a reservist for 7 years).  I am extremely proud of him, I can't think of a position which is more necessary right now. 

Now, to deal with everything falling apart while he is gone....
the refrigerator leaking,
the food disposal leaking,
the tick I found on me in bed,
the dog running away,
teenage boys trying to disappear,
a little girl who misses her daddy terribly,
not to mention the garage that needs to be cleaned, but alas, there are black widows in there and I am terrified!

Ransom - Son of the Shield

We are calling my oldest son the Kingslayer around here now.  Ransom has had a very eventful year.  He is my child with the least consistent education.  What I mean is that he has hopped around more schools than the other two.  First he was in public, then my husband was teaching at a private school, he was there, then he moved to the school I was teaching at, then I home schooled them, only because I thought we would be moving midyear.  I put the younger two in public as soon as I learned otherwise, but since the middle school was going to change the following year, I kept him home.  That was last year (when he was in 7th grade)  This year, is his first year in public school since 3rd grade. Academically, he doesn't have to try very hard to get good grades.  This year he didn't try hard at all , but I didn't  have to follow up and make him do any work.   He just does it.  Minimally.   He could do better, of course.  He gets by with somewhat good grades with little or no studying. He does his homework in the class before its due.  He is the classic slacker.
Anyway, he was trying out for the middle school baseball team a couple of months ago, and as I picked him up from school, he tells me that he got in trouble.  Apparently, he wrote his name in wet cement.  There is no other kid by his name in his school, or probably the whole town, or the state, (actually the only other Ransom I heard of was an old man in Vermont) so it really was not the slickest move.  Yes, the principal called, but I don't think anything happened to ruin his academic career.

But I believe that the thing that will go down in the annals of the school's history is how he came to the aid of a fair maiden and punched an annoying rogue in the jaw.  That was yesterday.

There is a certain kind of kid that always tries to test his limits.  He is the type of personality, that no matter how big or tough the guy who touches him, he won't put up with it.  So, several times this year, especially being a new kid in the school, he has gotten into some..... altercations.  Mostly in the bathroom, he always tells me what happens.  A few days ago, a kid called him a name, he said something back and then the kid followed him into the bathroom.  A few of his friends followed them both.  Nothing happened that time except for some colorful language.

But back to the fight yesterday.  At first, I assumed he was telling me that he got in a fight to prepare me for a call from the authorities.  I didn't get a phone call  from the principal, but a friend left me a message about how her twins were talking about Ransom and liked him better than they did in the morning.  Apparently, the kid he punched in the jaw bullied a lot of kids, broke their calculators, and especially liked to hit, kick and punch girls.  Teachers actually saw his magnificent punch, and looked the other way, glad that someone did it.

This morning, my golden son, showed me a bunch of tweets and facebook statuses about him and how he did what so many wished they had the guts to do. 

A neighbor girl ran up to me today, and although she was mad at my son last week, she thought he was cool today, because of what he did (the bully had punched her and called her names as well)

I don't know what to think of it all.  I don't like violence, but I am glad my kid would punch another kid for punching a girl.  I just don't know why any of these girls didn't punch the kid himself.

Avengers Personality

I have heard said that the superhero you love, or identify with the most, can tell a lot about you as a person.  Just watched the Avengers today.  It was great.. a little too much to process in one sitting, the story could have been better handled as a miniseries, but that is not what the big screen is about. 

Anyway....

1.  Thor.... noble, arrogant, archaic.  I have to admit, I love Thor.  It is not even the fact that he is from Viking mythology.  Ah... who am I kidding.  Of course it is.  But he is funny.  He says stuff like, "You people are so petty, and tiny".   That is great. 

2.  Loki... the original trickster.  You can't trust him.  But you want to believe there is some good in him.  But there is not.  He is all bad. 


3.  Captain America.  Justice, Honor, Integrity, Loyalty.   I am married to Captain America.  I am not joking, my husband is Captain America in many ways.  Mostly because he has that heroic, throw himself on a grenade to save others type of mentality.  And his love for God and Country.  And he is displaced in time, I believe, and would fit in better in a different era.  I just had a cake made for him.. this proves it. 

4. Hulk.  The incredibly intelligent scientist who has an untame-able beast waiting to emerge. 

5.  Black Widow.  I like her a lot.  I am nothing like her, but she is cool.  Totally in control of the situation while pretending to be weak and not in control.  Plus her gymnastics were really cool.  

6.  Hawkeye.  Modern day Legolas.  Doesn't mind taking a minor role, unlike the rest of the characters.

7.  Iron Man.  Tony Starks.  Rich, super intelligent, arrogant, playboy, powers all come from his suit.  Personality wise, he is a lot like Batman, but more arrogant and self serving.  However, he was heroic in The Avengers. 





I guess that brings me to who do I identify with the most.  She is not in this movie.

Russian Writers and British TV

Someone once said that there are two types of people in the world.
 There are those who have read Brothers Karamazov and those who have not. I only know 6 people who have read it.  It is my mission this summer.  I can not let my husband be in a class of people which excludes me.... even if I can never beat him in a game of  Word with Friends or Risk.  I read the first 10 pages and reread them, because my mind is mush and has been further mushified by reading such wonderful tales like Twilight (yes I cringe to admit it, but I couldn't put them down, no matter how terrible they were).  I am almost done with the first Game of Thrones book, and that has most definitely helped to bring my brain back from zombie land.  (Which by the way was a funny movie). 



Game of Thrones is awesome, both the books and the show, which is similar to a medieval fantasy version of War and Peace. 

It is exciting when out of the void of mindless t.v. (which of course sometimes you need) emerges amazing shows.  It was a while after Lost ended, and it seemed that nothing would ever be close in comparison.  Although I could talk about a few shows other than the Game of Thrones, such as The Walking Dead, Mad Men and Once Upon a Time, I am quite addicted to Sherlock.

Sherlock is awesome.  It is magnificent.  It is SO good.  Robert Downey Jr. may be a good Tony Starks, but he is not Sherlock Holmes.  His Holmes movies are entertaining, but they do not come close to possessing anything Conan Doyle.  Benedict Cumberbatch is different. He is Holmes.  The show has quite a fan base, and for good reason. The funny thing is that my parents told us about the show, because they are hip, and are always on the search for good BBC shows.  (Actually not only BBC, they were watching Lost before us, as well)

At first I was skeptical, because really..... how could anyone translate Holmes into the modern day?  Well... the people who create shows about Time Lords perusing through our galaxy and Torchwood saving the world can, that's who.

The Reichenbach Falls has to be my favorite.   The downside to the show is that each season only has three episodes (although each episode is movie length), but I think that is because Watson had to go be Bilbo for a while, so that is understandable.