I'm getting a Camera!!!

I have been thinking about getting a SLR camera for my birthday next month. My friend brian has been getting really into professional photography and has been using a Cannon Rebel XSI for the last couple of months to work on his shots. To read more about him click here.

Anyway he is thinking about upgrading his camera body and if he does, he is willing to sell me his old camera FOR HALF PRICE! He is going to ship it to me in two weeks once his new camera comes in!!!

I am SOOOO excited!!!!!!

Book Review - Brave New World

I finished reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley last night and I have to say that it was a very interesting read. It was first published in 1931 to mixed reviews but the past 70 years it has become a cult classic novel. This was required reading for the English Lit class opposite mine in High School so I never got to read it, but having read George Orwell's 1984 and enjoying it I thought I would enjoy this book as well.

This is the type of book that really makes you think, it is based on a Utopian society set in England in the year 2540. The utopia uses futuristic reproductive technology and sleep conditioning to form a society of humans without individualism, where "everyone belongs to everyone else." Natural reproduction is no longer necessary because children are born in "hatcheries" and raised in conditioning centers. The new concept of bokanovsky process is developed with can split a single egg into 30 or 50 identical twins. The cast system is set from fertilization, with each caste (The Alphas on top, the Epsilons on the bottom) genetically conditioned to fit perfectly into their walk of life, each person is completely happy with the life they have. From the top CEO to the lowliest janitor.

Most of the society's functioning is centered around a drug called soma, a pill that can easily be compared with a strong narcotic, a sedative and hallucinogen that everyone takes like it's candy. Sex is casual and plentiful, children are conditioned from infancy to engage in "erotic play" with one another. There is no ambition, no passion, no love or commitment, "everyone belongs to everyone else."

There is one man, Bernard, an alpha who is considered an outcast from the rest of his peer group because he enjoys spending time alone. (it is considered very rude and a waste of time to be alone at all ever). His feelings for a certain girl, Leina moves him to invite her to a "savage reservation" in America. A jungle like compound where the human "savages" still have family units ("how terrible") and the woman still give birth to their "children" (very crass statements in this society). They travel there together and what they discover is something neither one of them ever could have expected....

The story itself is very creative and surprising. I encourage you to give it a try, it really makes you think about how far off the beaten path a society can get. This is an accurate portrayal of a dystopia.

Read and Enjoy!!

Turkey Sausage Pizza

I whipped this up really quick when I was craving pizza tonight for dinner. It was much better than I had originally thought it would be! (YUM)

Turkey Sausage Pizza
-Source: From the Kitchen of Sara

-one boboli mini pizza crust
-1/4 cup Basic Tomato Sauce (I like my pizza saucy so I feel free to use less
-one link turkey sausage
-1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
-Feta cheese
-Fennel seeds
-basil
-oregano

1) heat two turns of olive oil in a small pan. remove casing from sausage. Grill one link turkey sausage until cooked through, remove from heat and allow to cool, and chop into small pieces.
2) Layer Pizza crust with basic tomato sauce, cheese and sausage, top with feta and seasonings
3) Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly

These are a few of my Favorite Things!

So Dana at Sweeping through Life has tagged me with 6 ways of happiness. So here we go

• Give a shout out to the person who tagged you - Thanks Dana, the cupcakes you made look good enough to eat :-D
• List 6 things that make you happy
• Randomly tag 6 other people - **I will do this later because I'm tired haha**
  

1) Cooking - over the last year I have discovered that cooking is a really nice way for me to relax and be creative. I love creating something out of nothing (I also knit, sew, and scrapbook) and sharing it with others, cooking just seemed like a natural fit, so when I moved in with my then fiance last year I started cooking up a storm (much to his delight). I want to start baking more as well.

2) T.V. - I am addicted to certain TV shows (the reason why I got a DVR) and I really enjoy kickin' back on the couch to enjoy some Grey's Anatomy or Army Wives. I knit while I watch T.V. so I end up watching a fair amount :-)

3) Showers after a good workout - Let's be honest ladies, I really DON'T like working out, I am so not motivated. But I love the shower after a good workout, it just feels 10,000x better than a regular shower. Once we move into a bigger place I want to get a tub that I can soak in, but until that time I will just have to settle for showers :-D

yeah....I wish....

4) Pillow talk (not what you think) - Kyle and I have had countless good conversations lying next to each other in the dark before falling asleep. We joke, have pillow fights, and share secrets. It's wonderful, one of my "happiest things"

5) My Cats - my two boys make my very happy. When Zachary crawls into my lap and purrs and purrs my heart just melts. I can't ever remember my life without a cat in it. My parents have had cats forever and I have really great memories of my cats sleeping with me throughout my childhood. These two are especially cute because they are brothers, they are connected. They are rarely in seperate rooms

6) Nights in with friends/family - I really love hanging out with my friends (whether is be through a phone call or a friendly drop by. I love to share a glass of wine with my mother while we talk about life and our family. I guess I just really enjoy making emotional connections with people. I love to talk and give/recieve advice about problems.

6 months

I can't believe it has been 6 months already since my wedding day. It seems like it was only yesterday I was hyperventilating in the back of the Church, then down the aisle, then at the altar.

I would have liked my first 6 months of marriage to include my husband a little more (he's been gone for about half of that time now) but I guess we will have an excuse for still being in the honeymoon newlywed phase when he comes back and we close in on a year together as man and wife. Even typing it I can't believe it...

High Five for Half a YEAR!!!!

Me Me!

So Kim B over at J and K, a journey has tagged me with the MeMe award. I have to therefore reveal 7 truths of myself then tag 7 other people to do the same.

so here, we, go!

1) I have Island syndrome - I was born and raised on a 11 mile island in Rhode Island (actually the Island part of Rhode Island). People are born, live and die on that island, these are "islanders". If you need to cross the bridge to get somewhere, they freak out (you need to pack a lunch if your are going that far). They run to the store for eggs and toilet paper at the first mention of a storm. They know every one's business, they have been there since their great great great great great grand-dad stepped off the boat from the old country. Now I wouldn't call myself this kind of Islander, but I have noticed that I since I moved to a big city that is literally sardine packed full of people I have realized that I miss that islander lifestyle.

2) When I am alone driving, I turn the music up and sing in the car- this includes getting down with my bad self during red lights

3) I love my cats, a lot, but I want to get a dog someday. I would love to have a dog to walk and play fetch with. I either want a lab, a westie, or a dachshund.

4) I am a Nurse, sometimes I wonder why.

5) I love my husband, but the fact that he is in the Navy sometimes really pisses me off

6) I am a slave to labels, coach, LV, Tiffany's. But I never justify spending that much on a purse or a necklace (I should say never used to, since I have plans of getting a coach in the next couple of weeks)

7) I sometimes resent the "adult" that I rushed to become, married, full time job, only 22 years old. I sometimes feel jealous of all the friends I went to college with who are still just hanging out, I don't have time to hang out, I have to go to work.....booo

So I tag

1) Haley @ Cape Cod Love
2) Ashley @ pink-ture perfect
3) Christy @ A little piece of heaven
4) The Queen! @ Quotes from the Queen
5) Erin @ Deployment Woes
6) Marissa @ A Burning Heart's Flame
7) Leanne @ Life on the Plywood Stage

Gays and God

::DISCLAIMER-This is a true story about something that has been happening without my knowledge at the church I have been going to in San Diego. This is MY opinion of the situation and nothing more. I BELIEVE IN EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS. If you don't I suggest you stop reading now::

I have been going to a small Methodist church in San Diego for the past year. Small, nothing too crazy, a little quaint church whose Pastor is an old family friend of my husband's. Over the last couple of months, her (the pastor's) parents have become ill and she decided to take family leave to help care for them.

Enter new pastor and exit me (I haven't been to church in over a month because I have been out of town and I work at the hospital every other weekend). I haven't even talked to any of my church buddies in a while because everyone has just been so busy. Well tonight when I got home from work I found a letter in my box from one of the more predominant couples in my church, stating that the are leaving our church and the methodist faith.

...because our new minister is Gay, that they aren't O.K. with that.

I am Christian, I believe strongly in Jesus Christ and what he taught while he walked the Earth (because I believe he really did). Well Jesus touched lepers and healed them, he shared meals with sinners, washed the feet of paupers, you think he would turn his hand away from someone for who he/she decided to love?

My husband was raised Methodist but I was raised Congregationalist, the most liberal Christian Sect there is. We are both very tolerant people, and both of our faiths share similar views of homosexuality. The UCC was the first Protestant faith to ordain an openly Gay man in 1972 (and the first faith to ordain a women might I add). Over the last decade the Methodist faith has also become much more tolerant of openly gay members of their faith and of their ministry.

Which is what I guess got this particular couple all bent out of shape.

An ad from the UCC God is Still Speaking campaign



It hurts that people are so judgemental of Gay people in this country, we have come a long way but we still have a long way to go. I will never accept that God would judge a murderer and a Gay man as the same "sinner."

Jesus is Love, not just one kind of love.

I am going to church this Sunday, and I will greet this new pastor with open arms. (my buddies at church say that he is really good). I'll report back later ;-)

Love the Troops.com

So I was browsing my google reader tonight and Erin over at Deployment Woes had a button on her blog from Kim Whelan's cafepress store www.lovethetroops.com. It came from her "Sexually Deprived for your Freedom" line.

She has a variety of shirts, totes, magnets and buttons for each branch of the armed forces. I especially liked her bumper sticker "My other ride wears combat boots." Awesome.

I can't post the images here because they are owned by her but if you/someone you love is in the military, check out her store, you won't be disappointed!

www.lovethetroops.com

Show Your Pride!
I am a strong, independent, beautiful woman....I am a NAVY WIFE!!!

Today was a bad one

Whenever people ask me how am I dealing with my husbands deployment, I have a couple of generic phrases in my arsenal ready at a moments notice so I don't have to register any emotions or reality into my responses. The less time I use, the safer it is.

"How are you doing?"

What I really want to say to stay truthful is way to painful to dish on someone who is mearly a casual friend or co-worker so I usually end up saying

"I have good days and bad days."

I mean really, if I broke down every time someone asked me that, I wouldn't have a tear left in my body. I would have dried up weeks ago from crying 50 times a day, you can't do that, that's not a life. I do the best I can with each day I as it comes. The most ironic part of it is is that 99% of the time the people asking these questions are the people who are not military spouses. From these people I usually get the "He's gone for how long?" or the "I could NEVER be without MY husband for that long" <--classic...like I really want to listen to that.

And on the spectrum of good days and bad...well....today was bad. I don't know if it was the night shift at work the night before, the lack of sleep or the now 3rd ER job rejection. (Two weeks ago they told me that the position I was appropriate for wasn't yet approved by upper management, today they were kind enough to e-mail me and tell me that said position has already been filled) Maybe it was the fact that I haven't herd my husbands voice in almost 3 weeks, maybe it's that everyone around me seems to have nothing but sun-shiny things to say about themselves. Maybe it was a little bit of everything, but today I spent the entire day with my stomach in my throat. I found myself staring out into space for minutes at a time, my mind totally blank. When I woke up around 1 this afternoon I went into my closet to pick out some jeans, and a couple of Kyle's ball-caps fell off of a shelf. I picked one up and just stared at it, I don't know how much time went past before I put it back on his side of the closet, but I found myself looking at all of his shirts and ties, just staring...

I feel like I'm empty inside. I can't describe it better but to say that my heart is using this emptyness as a defense mechanism for me. That feeling the raw reality of how much I miss my husband is just too exausting to even consider...

I am so tired, so I just feel nothing....

today....today was a bad one....

Looking onward and upward

I have pretty much been unsatisfied with my job for the last couple of months. The only thing that is keeping me there are the people I work with. I have never seen a unit of nurses and CNA's that are so committed to each other, and I know that I will never work in such an environment again. Never the less I am itching for a change, for a job with better hours

for a job in the ER

for those of you that have been following the blog for sometime know that I have jumped back and forth from Maternal/Child Nursing and Emergency nursing for awhile. Everything from Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, NICU, and ER nursing have been put in the mix. I have attempted to get into L&D in San Diego, but it is very difficult to get into that field when you have no previous L&D experience. So I went back to the ER, which is what I wanted to do in college anyway. I figure I will work in the ER for a year or two then go back to L&D because I definitely see myself working in L&D or Mother Baby for the majority of my career. (after all I'm only a year in and I have about 35-40 years before retirement haha)

I ::shhh:: have already applied for a ER training program starting in October. My parents are coming to visit the 3rd week in August and after they leave I am diving into "operation Sara gets an ER job" head first. September will be spend applying and interviewing and October will be orientation, just in time for Kyle to come home in November.

I WILL get a job in an ER somewhere in San Diego, I just don't know where yet :-D

25 Followers!!!!

YAY! I am officially halfway to my goal of 50 followers before October! I know I will get there.

Meanwhile is there anything you guys would like to see more of on the blog? I am going to start posting more recipes, possibly do a weekly news brief on current events, something to spark more conversations between my avid readers!

leave some comments! what do you guys think?

Glimpse into Mother-Baby

Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Director David Yates explains a scene to Daniel Radcliffe & Bonnie Wright

Last night after work I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter 6 with a few co-workers. I have seen the last few HP movie installments at midnight (it's the principle you know?). On the grand spectrum of Harry Potter Mania I would say that I definitely lean more on the fanatic side, I was at Barnes and Noble at midnight for the last four book releases (yes and I'm not even ashamed to admit it)

I thought the movie was very well done. It is surprising how old (and tall!) all of the actors are now. Director David Yates did a phenomenal job capturing the darkness of this installation of the series. In this movie Harry and Dumbledor delve into Lord Voldermorts childhood experiences, looking to hidden clues, any weakness that might prove helpful. The movie also developed the romantic lines between Ron & Hermione, & Harry & Ginny. (The character of Lavander Brown is so the girl you love to hate!)

I have to preface what I am about to say by telling you guys that I haven't re-read HP6 since it's release in 2005. I wanted to re-read the entire series before this movie came out but work got in the way and I only got 3/4 of the way through book 5. No worries, I will finish the series before Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Vol 1 comes out.

So since it's been a while since I have read the book I was a little more fuzzy on the details and little nuances that J.K. Rowling is famous for. But I think I was able to look at the movie with a more unbiased opinion. I definately try to look at the books and the movies as two seperate things and if you do too, I think you will really enjoy the movie. Although I do agree with most of my friends that say that pivotal conversations between characters were missing which might be difficult to explain in the last movies.

We'll have to see!

Fantastic!

No words necessary in my opinion!

Del's Frozen Lemonade

Let's get one thing perfectly clear. If you didn't already figure this out from my Blogs name, I am a born and blood Rhode Islander. Always have been, always will be. My marriage led me to my new home in San Diego but deep down inside Little Rhody will always be my home.

Del's Frozen Lemonade is a Rhode Island institution. I have never had better lemonade, ever. (Maybe I am biased I admit haha). Nothing better to have on a hot day like today.

Usually I would get it from the Del's Vans on the beach...


(not me...taken from the Del's Website)

but since I am kind of far away from the Surfer's End of Second Beach where the Del's van is always parked I had to settle for the mix. It was pretty authentic tasting. Next time I made it I am going to chop up some lemon rinds to make it 100% Authentic Dels. How Refreshing!

Check it out! Dels Frozen Lemonade

Homemade Granola Bars

These chewy lovlies are packed and ready to be shipped to who knows where (where ever my husband's ship is). They can be customized to fit anyone's tastes. My hubby is quite the healthy eater so I mixed in a variety of dried fruit from my local natural foods store.

YUM!

Chewy Granola Bars
Source: Recipezaar.com

Ingrediants

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4-1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups crisp rice cereal (Rice Krispies)
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup dried fruit assorted or chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease or spray 9 x 13 pan

2) In large bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
Blend in honey, vanilla and egg.

3) In separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

4) Add flour mixture gradually to sugar mixture and beat until combined.

5) By hand, stir in almonds, chocolate chips and oats until well mixed.

6) Press mixture firmly in bottom of greased pan, and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.

7) Cool and cut into squares.

24 hour fitness

So yesterday I decided after much cajoling from my co-workers to join a 24 hour fitness. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't work out. Quite the opposite. My apartment complex has a pretty nice gym that I go to about 3 days a week. The reason for my additional gym membership is this..

1) I get a pretty nice discount through my work
2) A lot of the time my co-workers go to the gym together as a group after work, another motivator to go
3) I miss going to aerobic classes & spinning. I used to spin 3 times a week in college and I haven't done it in almost a year, time to get back on the bike!

When I signed up for my membership they were offering a 3 pack of personal training sessions for about 1/2 the normal price, so I decided to give it a try. My first session is tomorrow. I am a little nervous about it. Hopefully I will be able to post about it tomorrow but I am anticipating that my hands might be the only things not completely cramped and sore haha!

Have any of you had a session with a personal trainer? Did you find it effective?

What's the opposite of insomnia?

So I work mostly evening shifts at the hospital (3-11pm). I work every other weekend and on my weekends I work night shifts for 12 hours (7pm-7am). I know, it's confusing. My night shifts were this past weekend and that Monday I was off. Usually I only sleep for 3-4 hours after I get home so I am tired enough to sleep that night. Well I forgot to set my alarm and ended up sleeping until 3pm. So I am stuck in this trend of lying awake until 2:30am and waking up at 11:30, which only leaves me like 2 hours until I have to go to work.....bah!

I wish I could get a day 12 hour position, but unfortunately without some hefty experience that's pretty much impossible. I am hoping to transfer to 12 hour nights so that way I would only have to work 3 days a week, keep your fingers crossed for me huh?

Independence Day

This is one of the first times in my life that I have woken up on July 4th and had a completely new perspective on what that day actually means. The reason being is that on this particular day I woke up, in my bed, without my husband, for the 78th time since he left on deployment. I won't see him again until almost Thanksgiving. He is out there defending our country so we can celebrate holidays like this. It's because of people like him and every other solider/sailor/airman(woman) in our military that we even have a July 4th to celebrate.

I have had mixed feelings about the deployment, like any new Navy wive I imagine. Some days are easy, you get into routine, work, home, you distract yourself with projects and going out with friends. And other days are just so difficult, I can barely drag myself out of bed. One night two months after he left I had a nightmare that woke me in the middle of the night and I reached across the bed to try and grab his hand, and I cried when in the following moment I remembered that he isn't there, and won't be for a long time.

You always hear "protect and support the military men and women and their families." I guess I never really thought about myself as one of those people attached to "...the families" part. I didn't come from a military family like my husband did, so this is all kind of new for me. The thing I can tell you is that the fact that my husband is a Naval Officer, however much that complicated our relationship, has not lessened my love for him. Quite the opposite in fact. Yes the time apart sucks and the distance great, but this man is making a great sacrifice to keep our way of life sustainable. I have a great respect for him for what he does, and I will be waiting on that pier when he gets home....

So please, on this day, our Nation's 239th Birthday, when you are all doing your celebrating (I will be doing some BBQing myself) take a moment out of your day and think about my husband, and all the other husbands and wives, daughters and sons, brothers and sisters who are not home today because they are fighting so we can have a July 4th 2010.

Happy Birthday America!

Wedding Album Design Picked!

The Friday I was in Rhode Island my mother and law and I went to see my wedding photographer at her studio to pick out my cover art and leather for my wedding album. Since she is nose deep in weddings right now her time for album design is short but I am the next on her list. I am SO excited to see the final product.

Here are some shots of the album design I picked and the leather I chose

**photos taken from My Photographers website **

She is the BEST! Any New England Brides PLEASE check her out. You won't be disappointed!

Faith Dugan Photography

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This is the show album from her studio, the picture I chose for my cover is very similar

The albums are surprisingly heavy and very well constructed, built to last a lifetime!

Close up of the spine.

Back Cover, I love the silver ostrich pattern!

This is the Picture that is going on the cover.....

ta da!

new design...again

Haha for those of you that have been following the blog know that for the last 5ish months I have changed the layout of this blog about 5,000,0000 times. Today when I was working on the back posts from my Rhode Island trip I thought that the black was just too....black. So I decided on a lighter color scheme and I am REALLY happy with the way this turned out, so enojy it why don't ya?