Bustin' at the seams...

No, I didn't have too much turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving dinner. But I am feeling bloated... in a good way. I'm counting my blessings, as I often do. Oh, I'm not REALLY counting them, mind you. That would take far too long. But I'm taking some time to reflect on the blessings in my life. That's a good thing to do on Thanksgiving Day or ANY day.

Frankly, I'm amazed. In awe... awestruck. Dumbfounded... When I look over my life and see how God has brought me from where I was to where I am, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see where He will take me next. I can tell you for sure, I never thought He'd take me HERE. I was beginning to think I'd never get married. Then I thought I'd likely never have children. I FOR SURE thought I'd never live in Okinawa!!! But then, that's just like God. He's always doin' somethin'. For I have a husband that far surpasses ANYTHING I'd ever prayed for, two BEAUTIFUL children (if I do say so myself... and I do...), my health! which is no small thing!! And now, I find myself living on a subtropical island. Who'd have thought? I'm an Okie. Never really wanted to be from anywhere else. But, for whatever reason, God has brought me here for a time... brought US here. I can't wait to see what He'll do. Like I said, He's always doin' somethin'.

This brings me to another "Top Ten" list. (No, I will not make Top Ten lists a regular item on this blog. I have neither the creativity nor the patience.)

The Top Ten things I (already) love about Okinawa... in no particular order...

10. The ridiculously beautiful weather we've been having lately.

9. Those trees I keep seeing... the ones still in bloom with all the pink flowers... so lovely.

8. The sunsets. Oklahoma has beautiful sunsets... but here... oh. my.

7. The view of the East China Sea that appears as I crest the hill heading toward Gate 1... ahhhhh....

6. Blue Seal Ice Cream -- YUM!!!!

5. Beni-Imo purple sweet potatoes... oh, what the Okinawans can do with this little gem! (More about this later...)

4. Lumpia!!!! OK, technically, this treat is Filipino, but they're here and they're deeeeeelish!!!!

3. Funny little Japanese cars and signs, menus, etc. with Japanese "translated" into English.

2. The (occasionally ear-splitting) noise of jets flying right over my house on a (nearly) daily basis... That's the "sound of freedom."

1. My husband... working so close to home that we can meet for lunch during the week. I love getting to see more of him!



I'm so blessed and thankful for my beloved family and friends!!! I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love,
Marcie

Drink of the Week

"Drink of the Week" sounds better than "Beverage of the Week," so I've decided to change it. I can do that. I have the power. ;)

Anyway, I will now introduce you to this week's drink...


Pepsi: Mont Blanc

I love Pepsi! Not diet, but regular. So, I'm thinking... 'Cool, a Pepsi product.' Devin and I tasted it. We decided it tasted a little like cream soda... there was a hint of vanilla... OK, so far... but then... wait for it... the aftertaste. What IS that? we wondered. Devin tasted coffee; I thought I tasted some sort of liquor... either way, we both decided we would not be fans of this one.

After some research, I discovered that Mont Blanc (yes, it means "white mountain") is a French dessert that consists of pureed chestnuts and whipped cream (among other ingredients, I'm sure). That's the flavor Pepsi was going for with this seasonal offering. Well, I don't know much about chestnuts... but I do know I won't be partaking of another Pepsi: Mont Blanc...

Next!

Clown Car of the Week (installment #1)

(From Devin) While some have seen this already on Facebook, those who haven't (MOM) will be able to get updates via this site.

We saw this "clown car" next to Jusco and (of all places) Tony Roma's (you know... the place for tempura chicken and grilled cheese). Yes, this car is truly a 4-door. No photo shopping of the picture to make it look bigger. Paint this one red, white and blue and you could just hear a Ring Master introducing the next act. The best thing about this one is the yellow license plate (hard to see I know, but trust me, it's yellow).

What's the big deal about a yellow plate, you ask? It means that this baby has a 2-stroke engine in it. Like a weed eater, some snow mobiles, dirt bikes, bass boats. Of course the one in your bass boat or dirt bike is probably bigger.

Next week, I'll try to actually tell you what kind of car I'm highlighting. For this week, just enjoy the view.

Beverage of the Week

Welcome to the first ever installment of "Beverage of the Week." (OK... we probably will not keep this up every week... but I like the title.) We will also tantalize your taste buds with "Snack of the Week," and Devin is working on a project of his own involving modes of transportation. If you were hoping for more sophisticated material such as Okinawan culture, flora and fauna, or the history of the Ryukyu Islands... well, you've come to the wrong blog. (Just kidding... we'll get to that stuff later...)

OK, so the first ever "Beverage of the Week" is... well... I don't know what it is. I could sit with my Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji character sheets and try to decode it, but really? Am I seriously going to do that? I just bought this one 'cause I thought the bottle was pretty.


I liked the flowers on it, and as it turned out... that's what it tasted like... flowers. No, I've never really eaten flowers, but... it was tea that tasted like flowers smell... if that makes any sense. Sort of like floral-scented dirt. I did not care for it and will not be buying it again. Tune in next week for another installment of... "Beverage of the Week."

This Soba is Makin' Me Thirsty!

The Okinawans are thirsty people. I've come to this conclusion not after hours of sociological study, but rather... well... see for yourself.
Vending machines like these are everywhere! And, when I say, "everywhere," I mean... EVE-RY-WHERE!!! You'll see them on almost every corner, and occasionally, they're even more plentiful than that. Sometimes you'll even see one in what seems to be the middle of nowhere... next to a fence by an empty field... in a back alley... Like I said, they're everywhere.


Have I made my point yet? No? OK... here's more...



It does get pretty... um... warm here. And with the humidity, perhaps so many vending machines become necessary. Don't want to get dehydrated. The drink selection seems truly endless... they've canned and bottled everything you can imagine... fruit drinks, sodas, teas, waters, coffee... Coffee? Yes, coffee... in a can... If you can drink it, it's sold here in Okinawa in festive packaging that's hard to resist.

Stay tuned for more culinary adventures...

Home Sweet Home!

Again, old news for some of you, but here are some views of our house...



A view of the back...


Lots of space, lots of windows... I think we're going to like it here!

So far... so good...

OK... so this is old news for some of my Facebook friends, but I need to bring some of my non-Facebooking relatives up to speed on our journey thus far...

Here's a view of the TLF -- Temporary Lodging Facility -- which I "lovingly" referred to as "Tiny Lodging Facility." Not much to look at, I know... but remember, these buildings are meant to stand up against typhoons. The inside was clean and tidy... and... I think I mentioned... tiny.




I suppose it wouldn't have seemed so tiny if we hadn't stuffed so much stuff into it... high chair, dehumidifier, Emerie's bed, dog crate...



The bed was surprisingly comfortable. (Emerie sure did get around. It's amazing how fast she can move on those tiny legs.)



Nice view! And the rainbow's not bad either!




Our sweet new ride... yes, I drive a van. This baby is a Toyota Estima. We later obtained a second car... a Toyota Windom... photo to come...

Just like the old days...

It's funny, but I've had this familiar feeling lately. I told Devin the other day that it feels like I've gone back to college. There are so many things I've been going through that remind me of going away to OBU "back in the day."

There are orientations... handouts that remind me of syllabi... There are tons of classes to take, but they sound fun! Instead of Western Civ, I can choose from Beginners Japanese, Decorating with Obi, or a class on how to shop at Jusco! Now that's my kind of class! (More on Jusco later... I'm just beginning to discover all it has to offer.... so fun!)

On-base housing is like dorms and apartments. You have to go find your mailbox at the post office and learn the combination. There's a bookstore. The food court at the BX is kinda like the GC... my fellow Bison alums will know what I mean. There's always some sort of party or activity going on.

There are lots of new people to meet... only instead of asking about hometowns and majors, the talk is about kids and their ages, geckos, and where to buy a shower curtain liner.

I definitely feel like a freshman!!! ;)

I enjoyed college, but this is way better! There are beaches, great places to shop ... I'm not broke all the time... and I don't have to worry about never having a date! :)

Top 10 Things I Miss About Oklahoma

10. Fall. It's cool here in Okinawa, but not that cool. I miss sweater weather... Fall leaves... the beautiful colors. This place has a beauty all its own, but I miss Oklahoma Fall.

9. Winter. Yes, I know it's not even here yet, so how can I miss it? I just know I'll miss wintry, snowy days... watching the flakes fall... so peaceful and beautiful...

8. Getting in the car and driving someplace without having to think... Am I on the left side of the road? What street is this? Why don't they label the roads better? What does that say in English? Is this my blinker or my windshield wiper switch? (and so on...)

7. College football. Oh, we do get college football here, but it's on Sunday... not Saturday. And I have yet to see a team that I really care about. It's all... West Virginia vs. UCONN... whatever...

6. Mexican food on every corner. Oh, I miss my Mexican food! I could SO go for some street tacos right now!

5. Ice and water in my fridge door... sometimes it's the simple things...

4. Sitting on the couch in our back living room and looking out into the backyard.

3. Our king-sized bed!

2. BRAUM'S MILK!!!! Oh, how I miss Braum's skim milk!!!

1. My beloved family and friends. (Duh, what did you think #1 would be?)

Yep, I miss Oklahoma... but I'll bet I'll have another blog post in just under 3 years about all the things I'll miss about Okinawa!

Mama said there'd be days like this...

I don't actually remember my Mom saying that exactly, but we all know it's true... I guess I'm having "one of those days." Maybe even a couple of "those days." I wasn't even planning to post any of this, but... it's what's going on with me. It's not pretty. But it's real. Just me bein' real. Besides, I can't stand those blogs -- we've all seen 'em -- where everything is always swell. The kids are perfect, the husband is perfect, the mommy is beautiful and... perfect. I get it. A blog shouldn't be a place to air your dirty laundry. Nobody wants that. But let's be real sometimes. Things are not always rosy.

Today, I'm not feeling rosy. This place... this place is... not home. Even my home is not my home. This furniture is not mine. That crummy excuse for a bed is not mine. It just feels... foreign. Maybe that's 'cause it IS foreign. Not just the Japan part of it... but ALL of it. I'm experiencing two cultures at once. Japanese culture and Air Force culture. So many of the other spouses have done this before. I'm sure it's never easy for them, but this is WAY out of my comfort zone. We were so busy when we first arrived... getting driver's licenses, getting our house, getting stuff for the house, getting things done... but now... Devin is back to work for the most part. We're as settled in this house as we can get until our household goods arrive. So now what. Devin has work. He interacts. He has friends (or at least acquaintances) already in place at the office. Me? I'm starting from scratch.

It's a lonely feeling. I barely know anyone. What do I do with my time? What do I do with my kids' time? Where do I start? Everything is complicated by the fact that I'm still finding my way around this place. Driving on the left side of the road doesn't yet come naturally. I have to think harder about everything.

Sorry for the whining folks. I know things will get better. God has already shown me twice today that this is true. All these feelings I have are probably normal... and the good thing is, I know the truth. God is here. Just like He's in OKC. Just like He's everywhere. He's still guiding me. Opportunities will open up. I'll build relationships... friendships... that stuff just takes time. I'm just experiencing some growing pains, I guess. I know this will pass, and I'll find my "Okinawa Groove." I just wish I could get there already.

I was so optimistic and confident... before I got here. It's easy to be optimistic and confident when you're still half a world away. I cried the night we arrived. We'd gone to bed... exhausted... and I let go and cried... wondering, "Now what?"

Here's what. Day by day, this place will be more like home. I'll find my place. I'll meet people. I'll get more comfortable driving and exploring. I'll learn. I'll grow. I'll experience things I won't likely get the chance to experience again. I'll ask God to show me how He wants to use me. And He will. And there will still be "days like this," but they'll be few and far between.

(This blogging thing might just take the place of therapy!)

Love y'all!