Day 19 - SBC

Shreveport / Bossier City is the area we are in now. Until we moved here SBC always meant Southern Baptist Convention in my mind! So seeing this reference around town and in emails always messes me up!

Anyway, the SBC area is quite impressive. The BC Chamber of Commerce is fantabulous, they absolutely love the base and treat us so very well and they advocate for us too. It's very nice to be liked! Shreveport also has a lot to offer, they have some museums that are worth a look and there are some impressive landmarks too. We recently went to the Robinson and had a really enjoyable evening there, I want to go back. There was a film showing there right after we moved here that I wanted to see but we didn't make it. Now I will be watching for their schedule so we can make it again soon! We are enjoying our time here. The northern part of the state is so very different then the southern. We have been down to NOLA a couple times and it's an enjoyable destination especially for people watching.

A little know fact is that Shreveport is a really big movie filming area. I mean who knew that? I didn't until we moved here! There are also a few shows that tape or have taped pretty close to here. Ever heard of Billy the Exterminator? Yeah, he's just right up the road and he used to be in the USAF as well, small world isn't it? Duck Dynasty is filmed right over in Monroe, LA which is only 60 or so miles away. Then there is that Bayou Billionaire show that films just outside of the downtown Shreveport area. I've never seen either one of those shows but they are local and the topic of many conversations! Further south you have Swamp People, my father really likes that show and so do the Littles so I know a something about it. We recently had a gator hunt right here on the base and they wanted Jacob to come but he didn't.

The Bossier City area also boasts a nice civic center and the CenturyLink not to mention all the casinos, oh my, are there casinos, LOTS of them. We aren't really casino goers but I have to say the bonus of these places is they provide awesome venues for big events. Their facilities are nice and they always work with the base to get acceptable prices and then they offer awesome room prices so it's a sweet deal! We will be attending another event downtown at the Eldorado and staying the night in early November so it's pretty awesome!

All in all we are enjoying our time in SBC living our ordinary life!

By now you probably get the Day + # post but in case you are late to the party the information is here!

Day 18 - Shoes

I'm not a shoe shopper but I do enjoy shoes. I love my Uggs, they are the bomb IMO.

 My Uggs!

I have some shoes I really enjoy wearing, I have some shoes I wear only because they look best with the dress/outfit I'm wearing and pray my feet make it through.

I recently along with MiB got new running shoes. I recently posted about wanting some new running shoes a while back. I went to the local running store to get them and they didn't have my size :( So since they did not have the color MiB needed we ended up ordering our runners online. They arrived and my feet have been happier since! Online Shoes was great!

I'm a MIZUNO girl and he's an ASICS man.

I also have a couple pair red shoes which I love...these are the ones I wore to our neighborhood cookout, I thought they looked super cute!

 Red Shoes!

Since I am not what I would call myself a shoe person so to speak as I don't have THAT many shoes. I mean I know other people who own waaaaay more shoes then I. But I would probably own more comfy shoes if I could find them. MiB even has more shoes then I do! Seriously, he does.

My shoe storage areas...nothing fancy but definitely functional for me.

I do have a fancy pair of shoes though! Well I think they are :)

Ordinary people buy and wear shoes. Again, I am an ordinary person who has shoes, probably too many, in fact with this downsizing I'm doing I can see several pairs going to the Goodwill or Airmen's Attic since I will need to reduce the number I have. It's so hard to give up some of them as they are like old friends! Then others it's very easy!

The Day+# explanation is here!

Day 17 - Purses

Most days I carry a purse. That's a pocketbook if you are my father. Others refer to them as handbags. Me I just go with purse! I do not change purses daily but I do like to change it up every now and again. Sometimes for evening events I carry a little black number or my Coach bag. I also have a fancy little gold clutch but I have to wear the right ensemble to pull it that one off!

Little evening bags are a must for my world!

 The I saved up forever and waited for it to go on clearance Coach bag!

My daily carry is usually a Vera Bradly, I have several a few! Several would have been accurate a year or so ago no I have given a lot of them away as I realized I did have too many so I only have a few. There will be a few less soon as I am downsizing even more!

 Current daily carry...

 The Vera I like to carry on trips for it's over the body carry as well as a nice leather one I like!

Another Vera I switch to every now and again!

I like carrying a purse for the most part. I think most of us ordinary women do! It's good to be able to have things you need or your spouse needs, like readers! My purse has a lot of things in it. I like to carry a handkerchief  with me. I also carry tissues, lip balm, lipstick, pen, eye drops, name tag, wallet, gum, scissors and face powder. Sometimes I also carry MiBs wallet in there along with his military challenge coins in addition to my own coin. Once in a while there is a snack in there like a granola bar or nuts or crackers. You would also find my travel toothbrush, hand sanitizer, hair holder and clip along with usually at least one alka seltzer. Usually my calendar and cell phone are in there too! I try to keep a tidy purse but sometimes I find it messy and that bugs me so I clean it out and start again! I would love to be able to get away with not carrying it but I find I do better having it and all my belongings close by!

If you are unaware I'm doing a 31 Day Challenge with other bloggers you can read about it here!

Day 16 - Blogging

Whew, this 31 Day Challenge thing is hard and I am so glad it is half way over! Woohoo! I hope I still have enough ordinary life to finish this thing!

I enjoy blogging, it serves as a reminder and record of our life. Our family says they enjoy it too. Sometimes I think I want it private, I mean anyone can read this thing. I'm sure I don't have to tell you this but there are c.r.a.z.y. people out there. Even though I don't use our real names if you really wanted to I am sure you could find out who we are and hunt us down. Seriously, some days I think it's really nuts I put our life out there...but then other days I think this is awesome I am recording all this stuff. I only laugh when I think about the stuff I don't post, you know the "I can't make this stuff up" type things. Yeah, I have a rich garden of that and most of the time it doesn't get harvested.

So there are sometimes I wish I would hear from those who do read my blog. I know I have a few loyal readers. I also know people just cruise in from who knows where. Well, really, I do know where as I have a little tracker app on the page so I get an idea of who is where but sometimes I wish there were some comments. What I really don't get is those who read it and know me as in real life and in person know me and then they email me and say, "hey, loved your blog post today". Yep, that happens, and I think so why didn't you just comment on my blog and say that? But I don't cause it's a personal thing, I know I also read a lot of blogs and I never make comments either but I faithfully read. That's kinda like the pot calling the kettle black huh!

Oh, well, I do it for personal reasons and not comments so that's that. Blogging it's fun and therapeutic maybe more people should try it!

Day 15 - Favorites

I like many things, but there are some things I REALLY like, I guess you could say I have favorites. Truly this is not an all encompassing list. My taste change, I change, my surroundings change and so one. Today these are a few of my current favorites!

Bath & Body Works Body Sprays

Vera bags for travel/meetings

Wine is a favorite and currently Chianti is what I'm enjoying!

Veggies I love them...pretty much anyway you fix them or not fixed at all!

 This is a two-fer, I love, love, love pizza AND the guy holding it :)
 

Chobani yogurt preferably pineapple but apple is nice as well! 

(And I do love whipped cream as well)

Hmmmm, seems I favor food and drink...yeah, no wonder my scales are not my friend :( I seriously cannot even begin to list all the things I love. there are so many. It's almost embarrassing so I think I should stop!

However, I will leave you with the RW&B...because I do love my country and am so blessed to be an American and military spouse. Life doesn't get much better then this in my world! Maybe it's not so ordinary after all this life I lead, in fact truth be told I know it's not...this life I am allowed to live is anything but ordinary but I tend to try and believe it is.
 
The Day + # posting thing going on is explained here.

Day 14 - Reading

I love to read, MiB not so much, but reading is definitely a part of my ordinary life. I read all things! I enjoy the newspaper, especially on Sunday. I love fiction, non-fiction, biographies. Believe it or not I enjoy leafing through a textbook if it is a subject I enjoy. I love to read cookbooks. I enjoy reading magazines. Reader's Digest has always been a favorite of mine. Since MiB has been bit by the surfing bug I will say he does read his surf magazines from cover to cover over and over again :)

Right now the easy reading book I'm totally digging is Ninety Days by Sam Yarney and I just got A Same Kind of Different as Me today from a friend and so it is waiting in the wings (by Ron Hall and Denver Moore). I'm also rifling through Nickel and Dimed on (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. And I'm planning to start looking for another copy of The Wealthy Barber for my own daughter and the Bud by Dave Chilton.

My current books...I love to read...wish I could just take a day and read, read, read!

The reason behind the Day + # postings is here.

Day 13 - Neighbors

Neighbors are funny things, sometimes they are pretty darn cool and other times they are downright strange, once in awhile they are more than you could ask for. We have run the gamut with our neighbors over the years. Most have been friends and we have kept in touch with many of them even if it is only the yearly Christmas card.
In OK we had upstairs neighbors in our first apartment that we had a great relationship with. And in fact with the great timewaster invention of facebook we have reconnected. They are ones we kept up with years with annual Christmas cards. Moved on to the base and had stellar yard neighbors who again we do the annual Christmas card exchange; our wall mates there notsomuch. Onto Colorado and again facebook has been the most recent way we have kept in touch with our wall mate. Our cul de sac neighbors who were LilBlues best friends we have kept up with over the years through little care packages from our different assignments and we even met up in FL for a fun one day reunion a few years back. Another one of the cul de sac neighbors that LilBlue connected with we reunited with in NE a few years ago! That's the beauty of this AF world. Unfortunately in VA neighbors were not so friendly and while we were always cordial there were no real connections made. And the connections that were made in our neighborhood we did not keep up with! Part of that was us. We were in an apartment complex and our location while we loved it did not open us up to much neighborly interaction. On to AL and we did have awesome good neighbors. They have even called every now and again just out of the blue. I think they think it's fun to track us down and get in touch and say, "so where are you now and what are you doing?" LOL

In Italy our neighbors definitely win THE BESTEST EVER award...seriously, we loved them and I think they thought we were pretty okay.

Recent reunion with Italian neighbors.

The kids!

In NE we knew our neighbors but we were not all that close. However, LilBlue did enjoy that area and is still there. It's a friendly midwestern feel and she loves it. We always take the time to drive through our old neighborhood when we go back to visit.

In FL MiB and I had one doozy of a neighbor, just think whack job. But while not a true next door neighbor we had great on the street friends who were truly awesome. They were 3 Doors Down and we spent many a Sunday evening together as well as several mandatory fun events which were made way better due to the relationship the four of us shared. Moving on to LA and we have some great neighbors once again, in fact we are surrounded by awesomeness. It is neat to know the block or curves as I call it so to speak and since we are off in our own little neck of the woods it's great to be able to reach out if needed for a myriad of things!

2nd Annual Columbus Day Gathering--even though last year it was known as the New Kids on the Block Party!

Just a couple of the curves kids :)

 

  Queen B with her Marine daddy

 Our LA neighbors at our recent block party!

Ordinary life is made way better with good great neighbors (who are also friends)!

Day + # post explanation is here.