"30 and Purdy" - A Birthday

I recently turned 30 years old! Happy Birthday to me! 

I was expecting this birthday to be difficult, emotional, possibly traumatic, but it wasn't. The day was pleasant and filled with friends and a delicious cake. 

I hosted a wonderful party a local hotel/bakery/steakhouse. We had space in the ballroom and enjoyed cake and drinks while the house band played a variety of music to keep us lively. I had about 20 friends from the Coast Guard, church, Bible studies, and work attend. It was so wonderful to see what a great network of friendships I am building in only 2 years in California! I felt incredibly blessed.

Oh, and did I mention the birthday party was a formal affair?

 

 Here's to a great 30th year!!!

A Rainy Weekend Escape

Recently, the Coastie and I went to Monterey and Carmel, California. We knew that we were in need of some time away from our everyday stressors. The past four or five months have been exhausting. We really wanted time for just the two of us, to be away from home and work, and just BE in a new place with each other. We love exploring and traveling, but with only a weekend available to us, we had to stick pretty close to home. We chose Monterey and Carmel because they are such beautiful, peaceful, and friendly towns.

We stayed in Pacific Grove - a tiny little place in between Monterey and Carmel. Unfortunately for us, our weekend away coincided with the Pro Am Golf Tournament. This tournament is probably one of the biggest tourist attractions and cash flow for the area. So we definitely did NOT stick out like sore thumbs as tourists! It was also the last days of the "Community Appreciation" days put on by Carmel, so a lot of the attractions were free to the local residents (i.e. the Monterey Bay Aquarium).

Plus, it rained the entire weekend! The Coastie and I have desperately missed rain during this drought in California. Rain also reminds us of home, family, and the Great Smoky Mountains. We didn't let a little rain damper our spirits! We absolutely loved it! We had to forego our idea of riding bicycles out to the Lighthouse because of the rain and a 5K run for charity that was blocking all the roads, but we still managed to do and see a lot, as well as rest and relax. Our hotel room even had a wood burning fireplace, so we got to cuddle up on the cool, rainy nights in front of the fire! It was perfect and amazing! We returned home feeling rested, connected, and rejuvenated!

Elephant seals near San Simeon Lighthouse

Monterey!

Golf course is in the distance

Top of Monterey Bay Aquarium

The sun was shining for just a little bit...

Penguins!

Cannery Row in the rain.

Last morning's breakfast at Holly's Lighthouse Cafe. Yum!

The Lighthouse! (Closed, but I still got the photo!)

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Trial

I have been very blessed to be healthy my entire life. I've danced for almost 15 years, been practicing yoga for about 10 years, and have recently taken up running. I've also been blessed to be naturally fit and happy with my body.

However, lately, some health issues have begun to creep into my life. In order to avoid any invasive Western medicine procedures or medications, I've turned to acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and holistic approaches.

The most recent venture I have begun is a trial of eating gluten-free and dairy-free. I plan to try this for one month, with the exception of a cheat day on my birthday. I hope after one month, I will know if eating gluten- and dairy-free have made any positive impact. If it has not, watch out world - I will be eating cheese, pasta, bread, and yogurt (not necessarily all at once... yuck). 

                                Today's inventory of health at the beginning of this journey:

Almost consistent heartburn after any type of meal.

Feeling flushed and exhausted from sinus allergies.

Allergies.

Poor digestion and the issues that follow.

Moderate energy.

Moderate mood.

Blemishes on chin.

Cravings for salt and sugar.

This inventory has little to do with my current lifestyle - I exercise regularly, drink water constantly (over 80 ounces a day!), etc. I just wanted to write down any trivial fact that may help me deduce the outcomes of this trial period.

Wish me luck!!!

PS - The hardest part of this will be the Girl Scout cookies that were delivered today....

Thankful Thursday!

Today, this is the BEST Thankful Thursday is several months because of one major fact:

It is raining in central California!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is only a drizzle, but it is still precipitation! This is the most action our area has seen since October! Forecasters are only predicting about 0.25" of rain, but I know that God is a big, mighty God and can give our dry, parched land some needed relief. I will be praying continuously today for more and more rain and thanking God for the drizzle we saw this morning.

In other gratitude news, I am also thankful for:

Coffee with a friend before work. 

Long talks with my mom.

Pictures from "home" of all the beautiful snow.

Mangoes.

Coffee.

A night to relax at home.

Being abundantly blessed.

Free lunch at work on Tuesdays.

Hearing Kara's voice and Jacob's baby sounds on the phone.

My adorable, funny Coastie.

And my amazing Monday night Bible Study gals, who rejoiced with me

for my miracle of health. 

They even sent me flowers! I am so blessed!

Veterans viewed as "selfish" by some Americans

I came across an interesting article today by TIME. 

There have been many debates, conversations, arguments, and social media attention lately to the latest budget deal in regards to military spending and veteran benefits. If you need to get caught up on the conversation, check out mainstream media such as CNN, TIME, and your local news broadcast stations.

The conversation has mostly circulated around veteran benefits in terms of a cap on the COLA (cost of living adjustment or allowance).  COLA essentially means that a service member will receive an adjustment to his or her base pay and/or BAH (base allowance for housing) based on the local economy and cost of living. For example, the Coastie and I live in the only county in California of which the Coast Guard does not apply a COLA, but we do receive an increase in our BAH. That means, the Coast Guard recognizes that since there is no supplied military housing and we have to find housing just like any other civilian, we receive a slightly higher BAH than others of our rank that live in supplied military housing. This is to off-set the higher cost of a civilian rental market. However, we do not receive any adjustment to the Coastie's base pay.

As always, you can find information about military pay here.

The conversation has also circulated about closing commissaries, aka military base grocery stores. These grocery stores are available to active duty and retired service members that have the privilege of shopping on base (not all veterans qualify for this privilege). The debate really escalated on the threat of capping the COLA for retired veterans' pensions. This only refers to those military members who have completed 20 years and are entitled to a pension.

These pensions are now under threat by Congress.  A 1% reduction in pension COLAs will cost veterans (including my Coastie!!!) tens of thousands of dollars in the future. This is money we will have EARNED but will NOT be paid! (Source)
 
The question raised in this article was: Are veterans selfish?

Here is my response:

Is anyone who has served 20 years to the same employer, who was hired with a contract including the terms that a pension would be available to him/her after a certain number of years of service, selfish?

Is my mother "selfish" for receiving her pension after 30 years serving our local state government?

Is my father-in-law "selfish" for patrolling our hometown as a police officer for 27 years and expecting a pension upon retirement?

No. None of these people would qualify as selfish. Yet, the debate continues on if veterans are selfish for demanding the U.S. government to uphold their end of the contract signed by each and every one of our service men and women. The Coastie phrased it this way: "If I had known that all these years of service with the hopes that I would have a pension at the end of it could be wiped out this easily, I probably wouldn't have continued to serve this long." Most service members do NOT stay in service for the 20 years that must be met in order to qualify for a pension. However, my Coastie decided long ago when he signed on the dotted line to live his life in service to his country that he would commit 20 or more years. He made this commitment for various reasons, but know that we are married and the economy is not friendly for new job-seekers, he is holding to this commitment.

I would urge you to think critically about these issues. I'd also like you to make it personal. Think of a grandparent, friend, school teacher, neighbor, church member, family member, or friend who has served or is currently serving in the Armed Forces. Think about the sacrifice of what they have given up, the sacrifices their families have made, or how blessed we all are that our country only takes volunteers into military service instead of mandating every male over the age of 18 to participate against his will.

Obviously, the Coastie and I have our own, albeit very biased, opinion on benefits regarding service members and veterans. I'm not here to push my agenda on anyone or to influence one way or another in regards to your idea of a balanced budget for our country. I'm simply hoping that the average voter will educate herself on these issues.

You can find more information from these resources:
National Military Family Association     http://www.militaryfamily.org/ 
Stars and Stripes     www.stripes.com
Military Times   http://www.militarytimes.com/

Thankful Thursday!

It's another warm, sunny day here in central coast California. Today, I feel empowered to be grateful and thankful to the extreme. I am so blessed. I am so lucky.

Today, I am thankful for:

Cozy mornings with the Coastie.

My sister and her courage.

A car to travel to and from work, home, church, errands, and friends.

A long chat with a new accountability partner.

My young adults' group at church.

Apples.

The commissary only one hour away.

A stocked fridge and pantry.

The view out of my office window.

Clean water for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

Psalm 143:8

Sleepytime tea.

The Harry Potter book series that has kept me so entertained.

Planning for my big milestone birthday. I'm so blessed to be healthy and happy at 30!!!

What are you thankful for today?

Blessings are all around you. Be grateful today!

An Interesting Read: "The 31 Slump"

I read an interesting op ed piece today at the website XOJane. The author chronicles her career-life from her early 20s to early 30s. As I read through the piece, I thought "Wow! It's like she was reading my mind! I didn't know other women my age felt like this!"

You can read the entire article here.

Essentially, I felt comforted that other women in my age bracket were wrestling with the same questions that keep me up at night.

What do I really want to do with my life?

How are others perceiving me in my current career choice?

What would happen if.... I changed careers? I didn't use my degree? I stayed at home? I earned more than my spouse? I went off the beaten path? I had kids? I didn't have kids?

I've had a few moments of brutal clarity and honesty with myself the past few months. After a traumatizing ordeal with my first job in social work in California, I've been able to lick my proverbial wounds through counseling and an "easy" job. The odd thing is that I'm mostly satisfied and content with my work and volunteer efforts and finally breathing again. Mostly. There is still a part of me that I'm still trying to steal myself to face:

Am I truly content where I am? Or am I still terrified of being judged by others and thereby motivated to change courses yet again to fit "their" perfect mold of a working 30 year old female with an education?

Am I terrified for history to repeat itself and to be so quickly verbally thrashed, shamed, judged, and demoralized by another superior?

Am I terrified of what others' are saying about me "back home?"

Am I terrified of what I may or may not regret in 30 years?

I'm not sure what the future holds. I do know that when I chose my career path at 25 years old, I had NO IDEA that I would be where I am today - living in a small, essentially rural middle-of-nowhere California town where nepotism is the ONLY way of life. It's crazy and unnatural to think that the choices I made in my early 20s from a severe depression and boredom should determine my next 60 years. Yes, I like helping people. I am kind, compassionate, and smart. But does that mean I'm locked in to one particular method of helping people for the rest of my life?

I'm in my 30 Year Slump, to borrow from the author's words. I'm open to the idea that this "slump" will become a milestone in shaping me for the next 5, 10, or 20 years. I'm open to change. I'm open to being brave. I'm open to releasing my fears of others' perception and opinion of me.

Now I just have to be open to taking that first step out of the slump.

Maybe next year.