Happy Birthday, Sevilla

Today is the birthday of my eldest child, my lovely and extremely talented daughter. She was a beautiful baby, with big, expressive brown eyes. Those eyes are still big, brown and expressive. As a little girl, she would suprise people with her level of intelligence. When she was just 3 years old, a good friend of mine told me that she just loved carrying on an adult conversation with a 3 year old. She's still extremely intelligent, with a mind that can think up a sarcastic comeback, remember music lyrics, or create wonderful stories and poetry. She was a determined teenager, who would set goals for herself and then work hard to achieve them, whether those goals related to school work, dancing, or attending the college of her choice. She is still a very determined young woman. She was determined to be an Air Force helicopter pilot, and she's a good one. She is determined to be a good mother to her daughter, and she's a fantastic one. She was determined to do her part and deploy to Iraq; and she's there, doing what needs doing and doing it well.


I love my daughter very, very much. On this, her birthday, I want to express just how much I admire her. I admire who she is; not only what she does and how she does it, but who she is, inside. She's beautiful, strong, capable, and fun to be around.

So, Happy Birthday, Sevilla. Stay safe and know that you are loved. MOM

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart

Twenty-nine years ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl. From the first moment I saw her, I knew she was special. She was beautiful then, and she's beautiful now. Of course, my first sight of her was this beautiful little being screaming at the top of her lungs as she protested her birth. She still protests against things she thinks wrong or unfair. She quited down quickly, though, and obviously watched everything happening around her; as the nurses did the things nurses do for newborns. She's still focused and aware; from things around her home to issues of National interest. She was a little beautiful blond baby. From my first sight of her, she's had a special place in my heart.

As a child, my daughter was loving, stubborn, intelligent, and beautiful. She's the child that could both charm and exasperate. She was (and is) athletic and intelligent. She can still be stubborn. She is a strong woman, in a family of strong women. I love her.

My daughter is now a mother, with children of her own. She's a fantastic mother. She is raising her children to be respectful and capable. She's got a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and has married a man with an equally strong testimony. Their children have a bright, simple testimony that will only grow as they hear and feel their parents' testimonies. I'm so proud of my daughter's choice of an eternal companion....she couldn't have found anyone more suited to her. My daughter is an example of someone I'd like to be, eventually.

So, Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I hope this next year brings you all the happiness you deserve!

Happy 7th Birthday, Princess

Happy Birthday to my granddaughter, Princess Pink! I will never forget the call from her mother, telling us that she had arrived; healthy and well. I will never forget the wonder of knowing that my beautiful baby had given birth to a small, helpless being. Princess Pink is another beautiful baby, just like her mother; and she is growing up into a beautiful, smart, loving little lady. Have a very happy Birthday, little girl. I miss you.

Women in the Military....Making a Difference!

Here's a great story of an Air Force pilot who is making a difference...oh, and she happens to be a woman flying as a military advisor and an instructor pilot with the Iraqi Air Force. Who said cultural prejudices couldn't be overcome?

Female Advisor Invades Iraqi Airspace

by Senior Airman Alyssa C. Miles
U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

11/4/2009 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- A female Air Force pilot deployed from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., works in a male dominated environment training Iraqi helicopter pilots.

Capt. Kacey Grannis, 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, is the Iraqi air force's first female Mi-17 instructor pilot at Camp Taji, a job which she describes as one of a kind.

"My primary duty as an air advisor is to train, advise and assist their pilots by expanding their knowledge base," she said. "I'm an American Air Force pilot flying in an Iraqi air force bird built by Ukrainians with an Iraqi co-pilot in a combat zone. Everything from the challenges we have to deal with, to the rewards that we reap from our relationships with the Iraqi co-pilots and the sheer 'cool' factor of the flying we get to do is rather unique."

In the Iraqi military female pilots are scarce, and upon notification their new advisor would be female, some Iraqi pilots doubted Captain Grannis' ability to handle the helicopter's large frame. However, the captain decided to let her skills speak for themselves.

"There have been other female air advisors, but not in this air frame," she said. "For the guys I was flying with, I think they were maybe not really sure what I could do, but they were at least willing to let me fly with them and let me demonstrate my skills. I was fortunate enough to have the best training in the world, so I was able to do what I know how to do. I believe I've garnered the respect I needed.

"One of my very good friends here is a member of Squadron 4's leadership," the Sturgis, S.D., native continued. "He's one of the most experienced Iraqi pilots here - he's an absolute wizard in the Mi-17 and he's known for being skilled for hovering without the flight control assist system. When I first got here, he wanted to fly with me to kind of gauge my skills. As we were out flying, I asked him if we could do some hovering with the auto pilot off, simply because I knew it was something he would find valuable if I could do it properly. I feel like the fact that I was able to one - do it, and two - do it well, I feel like he responded well to that."

Captain Grannis, who has more than 50 hours in the Mi-17, trains Iraqi pilots who have many more hours in the aircraft than she.

"Pilots as a whole tend to be competitive and respect number of hours and skill level," she explained. "The dynamic itself is very interesting - the pilots we fly with have a lot more experience in the aircraft specifically than we do; there are definitely things that we have as coalition advisors to learn from these guys. They are definitely the experts on the aircraft systems and the performance handling characteristics. However, we're not necessarily trying to teach them how to fly, we're trying to teach them how to employ the aircraft in ways that are different from what they've done in the past."

Outside of the learning environment, the Iraqis have come to view Captain Grannis as family.

"I get a lot of attention because I'm a female, but it's very respectful attention," she said. "A lot of times these guys kind of treat me like their little sister which is a great honor to me because I know in Iraqi culture, family is very important. I'm honored that these guys consider me a sister. But I tell them 'outside the aircraft, I'm a woman, inside the aircraft, I'm a pilot. And because I'm your instructor pilot, you're going to do what I tell you to do.'"

One student who has responded well to the Captain's training is Iraqi air force Capt. Jabbar, who says he has no qualms working with another female advisor "if they are as talented as Captain Grannis."

"Captain Grannis is the first female pilot I've worked with," he said. "She's a very good instructor and she has good experience for training and teaching. She always gives good advice and she never gives up."

With the training he and his peers are receiving, Captain Jabbar has high hopes for his country.

"We're making good progress with our training, and I hope the Iraqi air force is a strong air force for this country," he said. "I wish peace for Iraq and I wish the Americans a good and happy life, and I hope they wish the same for us."

Captain Grannis does.

"This has been a great experience," she said. "I'm very fortunate to have been able to come here and meet all these great people. I'm honored to work with the officers, warrant officers and airmen of the Iraqi air force. Without exception, every one of them is highly patriotic and dedicated to the job they're doing and dedicated to the idea of a free peaceful Iraq, and I think that's amazing."

Happy Birthday My Son

Today is my son's birthday. I remember when he was born....not all that long ago. He was such a big baby, compared to his sisters. He was all male, right from the beginning; a charmer, sweet and cute, until he wanted to eat....then Heaven help us if he didn't get food immediately. From the time he was a little boy until he was a teenager, I could tell when he was starting a growth spurt....the cereal would magically disappear. The kid would have cereal for breakfast, cereal for after school snack, cereal for dessert, and cereal before he went to bed. I think I was personally responsible for keeping General Mills' profit margin high during those years.

He was a good kid, even though he suffered from "teenage boy disease." You know, inability to wake up to an alarm clock, total fascination with electronic gaming, and a firm belief that parents know absolutely nothing. That's "teenage boy disease." Nevertheless, he was a pretty good kid. He understood responsibility and consequences; something some kids never learn. He was an athlete and loved sports, something he still enjoys. He was an all-state football player and played baseball. (His baseball coach told me that he let my son run the team.) He's a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, just like his dad and the rest of the family. He's even converted his wife. He's still a charmer. He's still cute (ok, handsome). He's still athletic. He's always been a natural leader. He's a Marine.

God Bless you, my son, and may He bring you home safely to those who love you. Happy Birthday.

News

Those of you who follow this blog know that two of my children are currently serving overseas, my daughter in Iraq and my son in Afghanistan. Well, I have some news. Florida-girl, my wonderful daughter-in-law, called me this morning. She let me know she had received a phone call from my son earlier in the morning. She said he sounded wonderful, and apologized for not being able to call on their Wedding Anniversary, which was earlier this week. She said he was his normal self....joking around and teasing her. It was great news! But then she told me that a little bit later in the morning, she received a call from HQ Marine Corps, with a "casualty report." They told her that my son had been knocked unconscious by an IED a couple of days ago, and medevac'ed to a medical facility with a serious concussion and that he was under observation with headaches and nausea. Of course, he hadn't told her any of this news earlier, probably in an effort to protect her, not knowing that the Marine HQ would call. (He's like that....he told his grandmother and I not to watch the news while he's gone; even though he knows we will.) Florida-girl was upset, of course, but she said the worst part was the Marine who called used the term "casualty report" and not something more innocuous like "injury report." She said her stomach had hit the ground, before she realized what the Marine on the phone was trying to tell her. Can't say I blame her. My stomach is still near my ankles. Good thing is that he seems to be OK....at least he was able to call his wife and joke around with her; even if he didn't let her know about his concussion. Gotta love protective men.......their heart's in the right place, even if you want to kick them in the backside for not giving you information!

Memories

For me, there are certain memories of my life that stand out like the vibrant colors of a beautiful painting. Some of those memories are of experiences or feelings that I knew at the time that I wanted to keep with me for the rest of my life. The joy and wonder I felt on the birth of each of my children, the happiness that comes with healthy grandchildren, the pride I felt when when my daughters graduated from college and my son graduated from Marine boot camp are just a few examples of memories of "big events" in my life that I cherish and want to keep with me forever. Other memories imbedded themselves into my consciousness for other reasons. Memories of this type include little things: like the smell of the lye soap when my mother and grandmother washed clothes using a wringer-washer and a washtub set up in the kitchen of my grandmother's house, the feel of doing a perfect backflip, or the comfort of a dog sleeping on your feet. The importance of these memories, of the little things, kinda sneaks up on you. You may not know these things are important to you at the time you're experiencing them, but the memory of them becomes critical to you later on.

There are other situations that you know as you experience them that the situation will be "historic" to you and to others, and you deliberately take notice of what is happening, where you are, what you think, and how you feel. People of a certain generation can tell you just what they were doing and how they felt when they learned of President Kennedy's assignation, for example. For a more current example, ask anyone what they were doing on September 11th, 2001, and they can tell you where they were when they heard about the terrorist attacks, what they did when they heard, and the emotions the attack generated.

When I was a young girl we lived in Nevada. My dad was in the military and during the time we lived in Nevada, he went to Vietnam three different times for 6 months each time. I remember a time when he was home; not at work and not in Vietnam. I don't remember why he was home, if it was a weekend or a weekday, but he was there. We had a "TV room" where the family watched our favorite shows (I can honestly say we didn't have more than three channels, and might have had less). Anyway, I vividly recall coming down the hallway from the kitchen and seeing my dad on one knee, tuning in the TV picture (or sound...we had to do that in those days). He was wearing a white, short-sleeve t-shirt and his hair was short, cut in what was called a "flat-top." He looked up at me with a different expression on his face and said, "come here, sis" (he always called me sis). He said, "you need to watch this with me." Now, I don't know if it was my dad's expression, his demeanor, what he said, or if there was something that what was "in the air;" but even though I was just a young girl, I knew right away that this was one of those "historic" occasions that I would remember all my life.

So I sat with my dad and watched grainy, black and white pictures of men walking on the moon for the first time. I remember the darkened room (to see the TV picture better). I remember the warmth of the day (it was Nevada in July and we didn't have air conditioners). I remember that my dad smelled like Old Spice aftershave and he had tears in his eyes when Neil Armstrong took that historic step. I was amazed by the idea of those pictures coming all the way from the moon into our TV box. I was proud that America was the first country to put men on the moon. I was awed by the poetry of Neil Armstrong's announcement about small steps and giant leaps. Most of all I felt loved; because I was there with my dad, his arm was around me, and he wanted to share that special occasion with me.

That was 40 years ago today. A historic day, and a beautiful memory for a young girl to have shared with her dad.

Happy Birthday, Buddy

I have two younger sisters. Once upon a time, my middle sister categorized us as "the smart one, the athletic one, and the pretty one." She called me the smart one. Well, I'm not so sure about that most times; but I do know that our youngest sister (I'll call her Buddy) was the athletic one. In High School, many-many moons ago, Buddy played basketball, softball, and ran track. As a Senior, she was named the athlete of the year for her High School. She's stayed active in sports, particularly softball, while raising three great kids. She coaches and she referees. She's most definitely still the athletic one. But you know, she also is a pretty smart cookie. It takes smarts to raise three kids, particularly after a divorce. It takes smarts to realize what you need in your life in order to be happy and then courage to go for it. It takes smarts to learn what you need to learn to have a good career and a wonderful future. I think Buddy is really the smart one. (Maybe that makes me the pretty one....well maybe not....)

Anyway, today is Buddy's birthday. I want to tell her how much I love and admire her; for her compassion, for her intelligence, and for her beauty. She is another strong woman in this family of mine that contains so many strong women, and I'm very proud to be her sister.

Happy Birthday, Buddy! Have a wonderful day today, and a fantastic year....you deserve it because it's never to late for happily ever after!

Sevilla

Sevilla, my beautiful and brilliant daughter, leaves this weekend for a year-long deployment. She is my firstborn; the miracle with the eyes so big it seemed they were all you could see of her newborn face. For me, she is still the two-year-old who could carry on an fascinating conversation with adults or the gifted 5th grader who didn't think she needed to do her homework, because she got 100s on all the tests. For me, she is still the teenager who loved to dance and the young woman who could write an essay in less than an hour that was so impressive her instructor posted it for everyone to read.

For me, she will always be that baby, that little girl, and that teenager; yet I know that she has grown-up and has developed into a complex, fascinating woman. She is a wonderful mother to another gorgeous and talented little girl. She is a strong young woman with a poet's soul. She's my daughter and she's also my friend and I love her on so many different levels. I'm proud of her; what she's done with her life and what she's chosen to do with her future. Of course, I'd love to keep her home and safe, she is my child after all; but it is her choice to serve and I will support her in any way I can.

Sevilla, I love you. Stay safe. Mom

Love Story meets Viva La Vida!

I have a cousin who lives on a 1/2 acre of happiness. Although she's my cousin, she's really the age of my kids and I didn't grow up playing with her, like I did some of my other cousins; but I love her nonetheless. She's a great person, a wonderful mom, and a really cool lady. Anyway, I hope she doesn't mind but I committed a bit of petty theft this morning. She had a post on her blog introducing this wonderful video found on YouTube. The video was produced by a person named Jon Schmidt, who arranged an absolutely wonderful song. He combined Taylor Swift's Love Story with Coldplay's Viva La Vida. The result is fantastic. Now I must admit, I love Taylor Swift's songs. I haven't heard a single one that I don't like. I also like some of Coldplay's music. But this arrangement combines the best of both. You gotta watch the video. Here it is:

Mother's Day

For all you mothers out there.....have a wonderful and happy Mother's Day. I hope you all are able to celebrate this day with family.

Although none of my children or grandchildren will be with me this Mother's Day, this past week I was able to visit my son the Marine and his wife before he deploys overseas to a dangerous place. My visit with them was too short, but it was great to see both of them.

I love my son and I adore his wife. My son has grown into an intelligent and capable young man with a fantastic sense of humor and strong sense of responsibility (even if he hasn't grown out of playing video games). He is a leader, not a follower. I cannot be more proud of him and the life he's chosen. He was lucky enough to meet and marry his Eternal companion, and it's obvious that they were made for each other. My son's wife is sweet, warm, and caring woman who has a steel-strong backbone (which is a good thing for a military-wife to have). I hope I made it clear to them both just how special I know they are, and how each of them are an essential part of my life.

As a mother, I dread seeing my son go off to fight our enemies in a foreign place. Yet I am proud of his decision to serve out great Nation, and support that decision with everything I am. Nevertheless, I am still a mother who wants to wrap my child in his warm, fuzzy blanket and keep him safe. I know that he is no longer the squiggly little boy who wanted to cuddle on my lap before bedtime; but I'm a mom who will always see that little boy, even if he now has a "buff" 6'2" frame.

It's hard not to want to protect your children. Like so many mothers before me who have sent their sons to war, all I can do is let him know that I love him, that I'm proud of him, and that I support him. I will trust in his training and know that he will do the best he can. I will pray for him, and the young men beside him. Most of all, I will trust in the Lord to bring him home safely to his young wife, and to the rest of us who love him.

Life is Like a Pack of Chewing Gum....

I'm spending some time with my sister and her family. My niece, I'll call her Shortstop, has a lot of fun with her creative writing class. She wrote the following for an assignment where she was asked to write an example of "bad writing." I loved it, and asked her if I could post it here. After a lot of laughter, she consented, so here you go.....

"Life is like a pack of chewing gum. I still haven't figured out why. But I do know that in high school you hoard your gum like a squirrel in the wintertime, because the rest of the kids are like fish when you throw a piece of food in the water. They flock like they can smell the gum from a mile away. Maybe they have huge noses like those strange looking monkeys in the rain forest. I would love to be a monkey. Just playing around, eating bugs off my friends all day. Okay, maybe I wouldn't want to be a monkey, but that can't be the worst thing to be. Personally being the bug would be worse. Could you imagine being eaten? What if the animal forgot to chew and you went down alive? I wonder what the inside of a monkey's body looks like. Well according to Darwin, we evolved from them so their insides probably look like ours. Aren't bodies such weird things? Like toes, what's the point? They just chill in socks and shoes all day and serve no actual purpose. But then again feet would be pretty funny looking without toes, but feet are disgusting either way. You know what else is disgusting. Noses. I don't get it. Our nose runs and our feet smell. Isn't that a little backwards? Just another question of life, I guess. Like why are hot doges in packages of eight and their buns are in packages of ten? Americans are so weird that way. We make everything so hard on ourselves. Like how we use our own measurement system that the rest of the world doesn't. I bet aliens make fun of us. If there are aliens. I think there are, but we don't know that because we're too absorbed in our own lives. There I go again. Dissing Americans. Probably not a good idea, seeing that I am one. But I'm glad I'm not from China or I'd probably be killed for this whole explanation of why life is like a pack of chewing gum...."

If you have ever been around teenagers girls...you might have found that as entertaining as I did. I hope so. Keep writing, Shortstop!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for, well, giving thanks. I know I have a lot to be thankful for. I have three beautiful kids, who are strong, intelligent, and responsible adults. I'm thankful that two of those kids have found wonderful people to join them in their journey down life's road, and I pray that my third child will soon be able to join her life to the person she loves. I am also so thankful for my three fantastic, healthy grandchildren, who are the joy of their parent's lives (and mine). I love my kids, their spouses, and my grandbabies will all my heart. I'm thankful that my mother and father are well and healthy, and that they love and support me (no matter what). I'm thankful for my extended family; my siblings, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, nieces and nephews. A large, relatively close, and loving family is very special.

I'm also thankful for wonderful friends; the kind that will lend your their ear or their house, whenever you need either. I'm thankful for finding love and for discovering happiness. I'm thankful for so much this Thanksgiving. I hope you are, too.

Happy 6th Birthday, Princess!

Six years ago, today, the Lord blessed my daughter with a beautiful little girl. He chose a wonderful, bright spirit to join our family, and for that I thank Him each and every day. Our Princess is a wonder and a joy. She is as talented and as intelligent as her mother. She is sweet, lovable, giving, and funny. She brightens the day with her smiles. I know that every grandmother thinks their granddaughters are the best, the most, and the tops....but I'm lucky enough for it to be true. Our Princess really is a very special little girl. So, I want to use this post to wish her a very Happy Birthday. Even though I'm not there to celebrate it with her, she will be in my thoughts and heart all day; as she is everyday. I love her, as I do all of my family, with all of my being.

Happy 6th Birthday, Princess!!!

Don't Wait!

One of the “tests” President-elect Obama may face in his first six months may be the threat of another terrorist attack, or (God-forbid) a terrorist attack that actually succeeds against our citizens on our homeland. It’s a reality that, even with a “hope” and “change” President; terrorists are also chanting “yes, we can.” They will certainly want to see how President Obama will respond, or if he will respond. I know that several federal agencies and the military have prepared contingency plans for all types of terrorist threats and attacks. I also know that state and local governments have planned and prepared for all types of possibilities. Even some businesses have done some planning. Wonderful! We should plan and prepare. Have you? Individuals and families need to be prepared to face and react to the very-real possibility that communities, schools, businesses, or homes may be targets. Nothing is safe or sacred to a determined terrorist.

So, I urge you to review your plans and preparations, if you’ve prepared them. If it’s been a while, pull them out, dust them off, and remind your family about the plans you’ve made. If you haven’t prepared a plan, start today! You need to educate yourself and your family on how to respond to various emergencies. You need to decide what you and your family are going to do if an emergency happens. Then discuss your emergency plan with your family (and/or friends). Remember, a good family emergency plan will have several parts, including; a plan for emergency communications, a plan for evacuating, and a plan for staying-in-place. The Department of Homeland Security has a pretty good brochure that will help with your planning, so does FEMA and the American Red Cross as well as several state and local government entities. The important thing is that you decide what can be decided now, and discuss it with those that need to know (even your kids).

Of course any preparedness plan should include making an emergency supply kit, sometimes called a 72-hour kit because most agencies recommend a family be able to survive for 72-hours on their own to allow government agencies to reconstitute and get services back up and running (or if that’s impossible, to evacuate folks out of the area). There’s a lot of information on 72-hour kits on the internet (and even some ready-made kits that you can buy). Most important is for you to figure out what you’re family will need to survive on its own for 3-days; then get those things together in one, easy-to-find spot. The kit should be portable, so don’t include things you really don’t need.

One of the most poignant things about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center is the story of Rick Rescorla, the Director of Security for Morgan Stanley. After the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, Mr. Rescorla developed evacuation plans for Morgan Stanley employees and made them practice the plans every three months. As a result, when the terrorists used passenger planes as guided missiles and struck the towers on 9/11, Morgan Stanley employees knew exactly what to do and where to go. Despite instructions for people to stay where they were, Mr. Rescorla ordered Morgan Stanley employees to evacuate. They did. Morgan Stanley had 2700 employees who worked in World Trade Center Tower 2, and 1000 employees who worked in World Trade Center Building 5. Because they had an evacuation plan, because they had practiced, and because of Mr. Rescorla’s insight and stubbornness, all but 6 Morgan Stanley employees survived the attack. Unfortunately, Mr. Rescorla was not one of them. The Rick Riscorla and Morgan Stanley 9/11 story is one of the best examples why everyone needs to plan for emergencies. Do it now. Don’t wait. We’re all targets.

Flags & Fathers

This weekend, we celebrate both Flag Day and Father’s Day. It doesn’t seem like flags and fathers would really have any real connection, but they do. They’re connected because they deserve our celebration; our honoring of what they are and what they represent. Our flag is the very recognizable and internationally known symbol of our country. In honoring our flag, we recognize and honor our love of Nation, of freedom, and of home. Like our Nation, our fathers are our bedrock. They lead us, guide us, and protect us. Both our flag and our fathers deserve our respect.

My dad served in the Air Force for 20 years. He enlisted after high school. As he tells the story, his uncle (who had flown bombers over Europe during WWII) saw him struggling with the whole “what do I want to do with my life” question after he graduated high school and marched him down to the Air Force recruiting office. Thank God for perceptive uncles! Anyway, my dad enlisted in the Air Force, then met and married my mom. After a couple of promotions, the Air Force decided they needed more officers from within the ranks and sent my dad, along with a few others, to Officer Candidate School. Now under this program, you didn’t need a college degree and my dad didn’t have one. But he was smart and a leader, so the Air Force got one right and sent him to get a commission. My dad eventually retired as a Major, after serving 3 tours in Vietnam.

I love my dad, and I know he loves me. Although I can count on one hand the number of times he’s said the words, “I love you, sis” he’s told me how much he loves me in so many different ways. When I was growing up, I remember my dad laughing a lot. He liked to joke around with friends. He started eating peanut butter and jelly on hamburgers on a dare and kept it up for the next 15 years; just because he liked it. My dad’s lucky and has a knack for video poker (just ask the casino manager who had to pay two jackpots from two different machines within 10 minutes of each other). He can beat just about anyone, except maybe my spouse, at cribbage; and in his younger days was one of the best fast-pitch softball pitchers around. He loves golf (as long as he's keeping score), baseball, military history, and his grand- and great-grandkids. My dad’s quite a guy!

When I retired I wanted to honor my father for his service and to show him how his example of service lives on in all my children, whether they've chosen military service or not. The best way to do that was with a ceremony honoring the flag. It was the highlight of my retirement program. I was able to present my dad, my uncle, my husband, and my serving children, with the symbol of this Nation I love so much. I was lucky that, in a small way, I was able to honor both my dad and my flag. Take this weekend to honor our flag on Flag Day and your father on Father’s Day. Both are worth our respect.

Good Advice

The best advice my Dad ever gave me was to never let anyone else tell me what I could, or couldn’t, do. It was good advice; the kind of advice that applies to a lot of different areas of life. Good advice is like that, it crosses boundaries. Take my Dad’s advice, for example. He offered it to me back in the 1970s, when women were starting to explore the limits of bringing home the bacon and frying it up in the pan. Women’s lib was the “in” thing. My Dad and I were talking about my future, and he told me that I was the one who should decide what I was capable of. It wasn’t up to him, my friends, my teachers, or society. It was up to me. I took him at his word and found out he was right. Don’t get me wrong, there were circumstances and chances that impacted my decisions and either constricted or expanded my range of choices; but nevertheless, the choice was mine. That’s the way it should be. But my Dad’s advice wasn’t just career advice. It applied to other decisions that belonged exclusively to me. The hard part was figuring out which decisions those were.

We’ve all received great bits of advice from important people in our lives. Tidbits like, “always wash your hands before dinner” or “look both ways before crossing the street” or “don’t leave the house without wearing clean underwear” or “don’t take candy from a stranger.” All of this advice translates well across the boundaries of our lives. Washing your hands for dinner and wearing clean underwear is really just advice to be prepared, and you really wouldn’t go to a business meeting without preparing for the meeting. The advice to look both ways and not take candy is really advice to be cautious, and you really wouldn’t consider an unsolicited offer to help a Nigerian attorney recovery money from a bank just by emailing him your social security number and bank account information. So you see good advice crosses boundaries.

So, in honor of Father’s Day this Sunday; what’s the best advice your Dad ever gave you?

Counting Blessings

What a wonderful weekend! We had the whole family together, and that is always wonderful. Of course, Cpl Devildog and FloridaGirl were the rock stars; especially with Princess Pink and CurlyLocks. Neither one of the rock stars could sit down for a minute without one or the other of the little girls demanding attention. I think they cured Cpl DD & his wife of any desire to procreate for the immediate future, just through sheer overexposure. It was fun to watch, though!

We squeezed a lot of fun into a very short “long” weekend. On Saturday, most of the family went to the amusement park, where PrincessPink “outshot” Cpl DD in water pistols to win a big red stuffed bear. As she explained later, she’s a better shot with water; but he’s a better shot with bullets. (Personally, I have my suspicions that Cpl DD aimed his stream of water at her target, but don’t tell anyone.) CurlyLocks discovered a love of roller coasters; something she shares with her grandmother, who had to pass on this trip to the park. Grandpa and I stayed home with T-man; but we had fun at Toys-R-Us instead. I’ve learned that it’s not a good idea to take Grandpa to Toys-R-Us. Not unless you want to come home with lots of toys. T-man loved it. He got a new “ba-ball” (T-man for basketball). On Sunday, we had an early surprise birthday celebration for CurlyLocks while Cpl DD and FloridaGirl were here, and before PrincessPink leaves to visit her dad and grandmother. CurlyLocks was very surprised, very happy, and very eager to open her presents! On Monday, we relaxed watching the Washington Nationals play baseball at their new ball park. What a great park! Unfortunately, they lost in extra innings, but what a great ball park! It was fantastic to have all my kids, their spouses, and kids together (even if it was very busy). In today’s world, with families spread out all over the place, it’s not often to have everyone together. When it happens, it’s a blessing!

Feet Dry!

Cpl DevilDog called this morning at ZeroDarkThirty to tell me that his flight had landed in Bangor, Maine. He said that he didn't have a lot of time to talk; but then told me he was going to shave. He had found a pay phone and used our 1-800 number we've had for years to call and asked me to call his wife and pass along his message. I don't know if she was happier that he'd actually landed in the States or that he was going to shave. . . .

Waiting for the Return

My family is eagerly awaiting the return of my son from his deployment in Iraq. Although I don’t have to worry about OPSEC (operational security for you non-military-types) like Lt G at the Kaboom blog, I do have to be concerned about privacy because of my past jobs, and to some extent my current job. So, taking a page from Lt G’s book (and because I think he’s extremely clever, if you haven’t read his blog, you’ve missed a treat), I’ll use pseudonyms for the people I discuss on this blog, unless they’re already in the “public eye.”

That said, back to my family. We’re all waiting for Cpl Devildog to come home from Iraq. He married Florida Girl in August, left for training in September and deployed in October, so we’re giving them some time to get reacquainted rather than descending en mass on them to welcome him home. The two of them are coming to visit us over the Memorial Day weekend, so we’ll get to see them soon. I just have to exercise a little more patience. I can do it. I know I can.

My granddaughters, PrincessPink and Curlylocks, and I made a banner out of a white sheet and Sharpie markers and sent it to FloridaGirl to hang up for us. My 20-month old grandson, T-man, did his best to help and managed to sufficiently distract grandma so that she actually spelled Cpl Devildog’s name wrong. Ever try to hide red, permanent Sharpie ink on a white sheet. Bleach doesn’t work, but white fabric paint will (sort of) cover it up. I can just imagine the abundant grief I’ll get (and deserve) from Cpl Devildog. “Jeeze, Mom, you can’t even remember how to spell my name. Did you even remember me when I was gone?” You get the picture. He likes to tease, and I’m bracing for the impact. Seriously, though, we’re just waiting for him to get home, safe and sound. All of us; FloridaGirl, his dad and I, and his sisters (Sevilla and the GymQueen, as well as her husband, PerfectMan) just want him home save and sound. I can wait. I can do it. I know I can!