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 Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025: Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2025:
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Thank you for your successful completion of 13 Poetic Days of Halloween *^*Heart*^* Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Ghost-700.gif) Big Thanks to Witchy Woman  for hosting the contest!Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." 
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| It was soooo cold in California. How cold was it Steph? Well, when Andy woke up this morning he found ants in the pantry making a beeline to the dog food!! I was proud of that boy, too. While Brent and I were at work, he took apart the side of the pantry that was affected and sprayed the raid killing the ants. He got rid of the old bag of dog food and cleaned everything up. I had no idea there was a crisis until I came home and told me about it. I told him I was very proud of the way he handled it. That said it got down to 45 degrees Fahrenheit last night. Mind you, that's cold here in SoCal, but in New England you'd see ppl wearing shorts claiming it was rather comfy, considering. Personally, speaking, 45 degrees F is jacket weather. Turns out Hubby had the temp set for 67 before the heat kicked in! I was freezing in bed last night and that's WITH the next blanket. I bumped it up to 70 degrees. But Steph, it's ONLY 45 degrees.... It's cold enough for the ants to find a path into my pantry and go for the dog food. So let's hear it - is 45 degrees Fahrenheit cold or comfortable? |
| Well, the hubby is ALL EXCITED to be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at the house. Me? I'm not so excited but hey, I'm doing my best to be supportive. Too many in-laws coming over if you ask me. I'm going to find a good football game and thieve oxygen on the couch. That said... He's been working on the menu:  -- I usually brine the overstuffed bird, so I'll be making/cooking my brine on Monday and putting the bird in the brine Tuesday for a min 24 hour soak. Then he's going to prepare the bird like Claudia does:
However, last year, the came out not so good. Mind you, I'm not trying to set hubby up for failure again, but he's insisting he wants to do it Claudia's way... POTATOES He's going to make mashed potatoes from real potatoes. We'll see. The boys think he's going to use Instant. I'm taking bets. STUFFING This year he's making Gina's Italian stuffing with sausage and cranberries. Honestly, beats his grandmother's recipe which I politely decline every year. PIES Hubby wants Andy to make his famous pumpkin cheesecake pies. Two. Andy's game for it. I'm going to make a blueberry pie because that's what I ate when I was growing up. CHEESE and CRACKER Board I've been put in charage of the charcuterie board since I went to a class for it. I'm thinking fancy Italian meats, cheeses, grapes, crackers, olive spread, jam.... The possibilities are endless. DRINKS Hubby bought Lambrusco, Riesling and Gerwurstermlner. I'm going to have some Malibu rum, pineapple juice and sprite. What are the in-laws bringing you ask? I have no idea..... Andy and I go shopping on Thursday. |
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| Thought I'd go ice skating: |
| Well, I was supposed to go to the USC Game BUT it's raining cats and dogs and I had no desire to sit out in the rain and watch the game so I ate the cost of the tickets and stayed home and watched the game on TV. At least USC won but it was a nail bitter all throughout the 1st half. Hopefully they'll get a bowl game and I can go! Since it was raining, today was a soup day. I decided on meatball soup and after shopping at Costco and Ralphs, it was time to cook! First I put the meatballs together with hamburger, rice, seasoned salt, oregano, and garlic powder. Then I chopped onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, corn on the corb in to small quarters, cilantro and cabbage. I sautéed the onions, celery, carrots, in some olive oil and minced garlic. Once softened, I added a can of diced tomatoes, and 3 boxes of veggie broth. I brought to a boil, then a simmer and added the meatballs, zucc, and corn. Cooked for about 20 mins until everything was soft and then added cilantro and cabbage. Perfect! When it's raining what's your go to soup? |
Well, it's been 34 years since I married the hubby. 34 years. That's a loooong time. To celebrate, we went to a local steak place called "The Backwoods Inn" and had a nice dinner despite the rain. I had surf and turf and he had a prime rib. What I liked about the restaurant is the ambience. I've really come to appreciate that in a restaurant these days. It's nice to get out and escape. We went here to celebrate our 33rd last year, too, but haven't been back until now. All those years ago, we were married by a justice of peace in Nykobig, Denmark. We spent a week in Denmark and visited Copenhagen and Legoland. The ceremony was simple. Nothing fancy but I did wear a nice white suit. It was raining that day, too.  Gotta have some rain on the anniversary or it aint the same thing! That night we went back to the hotel, had a nice meal and passed out we were so tired. Tuborg will forever be my favorite Danish beer. We really plan nothing for anniversary because there's like no time. We bounce from Sept to October and Halloween then Thanksgiving! Oh, that first thanksgiving! Talk about turkey novices trying to cook turkey in Germany. Would have helped if we took the gizzards bag out of the cavity... ah, the stories a young married could tell... |
Sometimes I wonder why ppl reinvent the wheel but only reinvent a crappy product claiming it's better when - right away you, the consumer, realize, the product is not better, it sucks, and I had to pay how much money to feed your beast aka money machine? For example. I have a night guard. I was diagnosed with TMJ about 15 years ago and the dentist said I needed a night guard. He made a "homemade" appliance that I snap between my two front teeth that I've been using now for 15 years. I've only had to replace it once. It's a sturdy piece of plastic. My TMJ has been managed and the grinding of my teeth is very minimal. The dental assistant who cleans my teeth never mentions it well, because the night guard keeps me from grinding my teeth. So I go for my cleaning about 3 weeks ago and my dentist says I need a new night guard and the one I've been using for 15 years is no good. I'm like, huh? Says I need a new guard that covers all my teeth when I sleep. Okay, I said. I got fitted and picked them up. What a waste of good plastic and money. This night guard is very much like a retainer. Hard plastic molded to my teeth that I uncomfortably snap on and off with much effort. I've tried putting them on twice and it activates my gag reflect and they're uncomfortable as hell. Cost $880.00 dollars. Thank goodness I have insurance! But still. This was a waste of my time, dental insurance money, and plastic because I'm not ever going to wear it. Why? simply because It's not practical for day to day wear. If anything I made my dentist happy by getting it. And that's another thing. He swore by the appliance I wore for years, an appliance that works very well and all of sudden it doesn't work well? Please. Which gets me on another rant - my washer and dryer. Hubby replaced then about 2 years ago, But there's no agitator in the middle just a sensor and the dryer's heat even on full blast sucks. It's supposed to be green energy compliant and use less energy and it sure does. In order get to my clothes washed to previous washers quality of work I have to use 2 scoops of laundry detergent and only load the washer to half it's capacity. If I don't the wash is inconsistent and the clothes still smell dirty! And the dryer - instead of putting it on 1 cycle I need to cycle it 1 and half times to get the same dry quality as before. So, if you think it about it - I'm spending more time and energy (and money!) to get a result I would have had with the old stuff. Sometimes new isn't better. I've been thinking of hitting up the facebook market group for 1980's and 1990's appliances. -- as for my night guard I'm using the same old one until it falls apart and then I'll super glue it. |
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| After writing some of my reflections on my time in Munster, guarding a munitions depot and being around the British Army (remember there were 10,000 Brits stationed in Munster, only 200 Americans) I decided to research for some photos from the time period because mine aren’t all that and I found out some interesting information that I thought I’d share. What I do remember is that there a forest around the city. In fact, our munitions depot was about 10-15 mins from the suburb of Telege. In fact, I vaguely remember going to a restaurant near Telege that had a bit of hunter’s theme, authentic German food, deer heads on the walls and long tables for communal eating. During World War I, Germany built a camp with gas warfare engineers with the intent to make gas munitions just north of Munster. The camp was built in 1916 and by July 1918, there were 3 buildings that made chemical munitions. At “Lostwerk I” they made mustard gas. This area had a power station, camps for 4,500 people, a firing range, and test sites. Regular munitions were made here as well, and they brought captured munitions to this site as well such as Russian chlorine gas. Believe it or not, there over 47K “long” tons of chemical munitions and 53 “short” tons! (Honestly, I’m not sure what it means but it sounds like a lot of chemical weapons) Shockingly, they destroyed these munitions by sinking them in the Baltic Sea! A train accident on the way north to the Baltic sea, let out a chemical release, threatening the countryside. There were several deaths throughout the following months. By 1925 all the buildings used to create these foul chemicals were destroyed. Between 1935-1938 the Germans rebuilt the facilities and made them bigger with the intent to create 15% chemical munitions and 85% explosive munitions. Mind you, after World War I, chemical munitions were outlawed in international conflicts. Some of the chemical munitions built at the new facilities included: arsenic oil, hydrogen cyanide, mustard gas (it’s back!) tabun, sarin, (these 2 are most foul!) cyanogen chloride, phenacyl chloride and more! The new facilities were disguised a simple bunkers. After 1945, Munster fell into the British zone of occupation and they took over the clean up of chemical munitions. Forces from Operation Market Garden became the British Army of the Rhine (similar to USAREUR) and then smaller units occupied different cities. British infantry, artillery, and calvary units were established in various barracks throughout the city at Oxford, York, Simpson, etc. The British were a big presence in Munster during the Cold War. Reference: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/disaster-in-a-bright-blue-sky/ Link to some great World War II pictures in the Rhineland area to include Munster https://www.littlerock.gov/residents/parks-and-recreation/directory/macarthur-mu... Summary of the Cold War in British occupied Germany https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/active-edge-army-germany-during-cold-war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_occupation_zone_in_Germany https://www.thenmusa.org/articles/the-army-and-the-cold-war/ Muster Raid |
| My first duty assignment, fresh after graduating Basic and 95B (military police) training, was the 583rd Ordnance Company. I arrived in Germany in December of 1986, 18 years old and ready to discover the world. I wish I paid more attention. My fellow MPs landed at the Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt, Germany. While my memory is now fuzzy, I do remember our original set of orders were scrapped and we were given new orders to go to the 583rd Ordnance Company. The 583rd Ordnance Company was located just outside of the suburb of Handorf and the city of Munster. It was in the British Zone of Occupation. I had some history classes in high school and I was aware that Germany had been divided by the allies, but until I was stationed in the British Zone of occupation, it wasn’t real to me. The British zone of occupation in Germany was north of Frankfurt up to Bremerhaven. The American zone was south of Frankfurt and the French had a small piece near the German-French border. Where I was stationed at there were 10,000 British soldiers and 200 American soldiers. Out of the 20 American soldiers maybe 20 were female. What were the odds? Munster, itself has about 320,000 people. It is in the Nord-Rhine Westphalia section of Germany. I do remember the Cathedral, and the town itself was an interesting mix of gothic and Romanesque architecture. I do remember it there were a lot of gables on the buildings in downtown, and I think there was a heavy Dutch influence in the area. When I had time (and my 1975 Fiat was working, I might go to the downtown area to walk around, eat authentic German food, and take some friends just to get out, though most Americans weren’t as daring to leave our kaserne.) Genealogy side note – 30 year later, when I submitted a sample to 23 and me, I learned that about 5 % of my ancestry is from Nord-Rhine Westphalia. I have a 2nd or 3rd great grandparent likely born between 1760 and 1850 from Nord-Rhine Westphalia. In hindsight, I found it amazing that I would live in this region for 2 years of my life in the military. I suspect this great grandparent came from my paternal side, my father’s mother, as I remember her telling me, she wasn’t sure of her lineage. A couple of months back, my husband got on ancestry.com and was able to trace my grandmother’s mother line back to Germany. Back to Munster & the 583rd: Most of the company’s immediate support was British. You had your options – British TV or German TV. For immediate health or dental issues you could go to the British hospital or dentist. Most of the time, us Americans went to Bremerhaven for medical/dental issues. Bremerhaven was a 2 hour drive north. That was the closest American base. I remember there were American facilities in Enschede, Netherlands – I got my USAREUR driver’s license there. It only took an hour and half to get there. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember if it was an “American” base. An internet search now reveals it was a jointly used air base between the Americans and the Dutch. We had to gas up our vehicles on British kasernes in the area. I remember vaguely going to Simpson, York, Portsmouth barracks to fuel up our VW. If anything, I wish I could remember more. I think the Brits called it petrol and us Americans said gas. Every year the British would have an open house and invite us Americans to put on a display. I want to say the open house rotated every year, but I can’t be sure, however every year I was voluntold to participate in the open house. Being an MP, I had to wear my BDU (battle dress uniform) along with my personal equipment, LBE (load bearing equipment), my kelvar helmet, have my gas mask attached on my hip, and bring along my M16. What made my M16 so special at the time, is that it had an M203 grenade launcher on it. Mind you, a grenade launcher is really cool to fire, but I never shot it once while I was at the 583rd. (I eventually shot it and qualified expert on it when I was assigned to the 127th MP Company in Hanau.) I also had to wear camo on my face. I was full all out decked out for war fighting. I remember our presentation at the open houses were well received and we got a lot of questions – especially me. At the time, being an MP was probably the closest a woman would come to war fighting. Being an MP was considered combat support. There was combat (infantry for example), combat support, (MP), and combat service support (cooks and clerks). I would get a lot of questions from British soldiers about “what was it like” to be a female in a job like I had. They would explain to me that most of their females were in combat service support jobs like cooks, clerks, nurses, etc. They considered me to be a war fighter. Why would I want to do it? I would explain that (at the time) the American didn’t have females in combat jobs, but we could serve in combat support jobs. I had to have a lot of patience because I got that a lot! British BDUs were different from ours in that they had different camo patterns on them, but the one thing I admired about their equipment was their MOPP gear (Mission Orientated Protective Posture) MOPP is what you put on to protect yourself in case of an NBC attack (nuclear, biological, chemical). We had 9 seconds to put on our face mask and 9 minutes to put on the suit. In American MOPP suits, you had to tie everything off and tying slowed you down. The British suits had Velcro. Easy Peasy! Not only that they had screw on exterior filters! Convenient! Our filters were interior in the face plastic. They were hard to replace. Every year us Americans would go on a joint exercise with the Brits called Reforger. For us, it was a “practice.” We would “unload” the munitions site and then travel throughout the countryside guarding our munitions. The British would drive in their deuce and halfs (2 ½ ton trucks) with the “munitions” (they were simulated) and the American would ride shotgun. Usually the exercise lasted about a week or a week and half. We usually got hot meals for dinner and breakfast, but lunch usually consisted of rations. American MREs sucked next to British rations. They actually got stuff in cans that they had to cook! A “quick” internet search (I’d have to do a bit more research) revealed that during World War II, Munster was a site for chemical weapons research and production for the German military. (I never knew!) Munster had a prominent German military presence in World War II and was a bombing target of the British. (It was 95% destroyed?) (Heck, I remember hearing in the news they had found an unexploded bomb near the cathedral in 1988.) To this day, they are still finding unexploded ordnance in Germany from World War II. If anything, this is a just a brief collection of my thoughts and memories during my time stationed at the 583rd. I'll probably take some time and flesh it out a bit more going forward. I'd love to hear more thoughts on the British army, so if anyone has anything share, please do. |
| Well, now that I'm in my 50's, I have aches and pains I didn't think I'd ever have. The mind is still good but the body is another thing. There's something to be said for Estrogen. I wish I had more of it. That said, I found a little anti-inflammatory that works wonders - Bromelain. Bromelain is a type of enzyme called a proteolytic enzyme. It is found in pineapple juice and in the pineapple stem. Bromelain causes the body to make substances that fight pain and swelling. Bromelain also contains chemicals that seem to interfere with tumor cells and slow blood clotting. People use bromelain for muscle soreness, pain, burns, kidney stones, and many other conditions, From Web.MD: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-895/bromelain I usually take 3 pills a day and it really helps keeps the aches away. Mind you, you know you, so before you give Bromelain a shot, read the labels and do your research. I recommended it for a co-worker who had aches and pains in her hands and she said it made a big difference for her. |
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