Talking Tuesday

The other day, while Hubster was helping me make the bed with freshly washed sheets...I told him that fresh sheets on a bed; are truly my favorite of all simple pleasures. The conversation went on that if we ever 'struck it rich', I would not want a huge house or a bunch of maids...but I would want fresh sheets on my bed every day for the rest of my life. That's it.

Hubster served in the Navy and spent many an hour on a submarine...he missed an ice-cold Coke most of all. He's not even a big soda drinker, but he did miss Coca Cola.

As I think of MudPuppy, Mark, Christopher, David and countless other soldiers who sleep, eat and breathe dust all day, every day... I wonder... to those who are currently serving and to those who have served in the past.... what do/did you miss most? Even if you are a civie, please chime in...what would you miss most, if you were to find yourself in Afghanistan or Iraq for a year?

Your turn........

Emergency Prayer Request!!!

Please take a few moments this morning and visit Pops at MarkOneEleven.

Specialist Monte "Ike" Lesh needs our prayers.

John Update

In February, 2008 I tearfully sent my youngest offspring into the world.



It was a day filled with much emotion; pride, sadness, anticipation, anxiety...a classic example of Vegetable Soup of Emotions. (Moms do a good job of tossing together a bunch of emotions.)



Fortunately, it has been an extremely uneventful year and a half. John met the challenges BMT offers. He excelled at Tech School. He has done a fine job at Wright-Patterson.



And then, I got a phone call tonight. John received a summons for Criminal Trespassing. John, six friends and two pick-up trucks decided to visit some back roads. John's truck ( '89 F250) got stuck in the mud and it evidently took some wheel-turning to get the truck unstuck. Someone felt he tore up the park a bit too much. I asked him if he will get into any 'real' trouble from this little escapade, he said he is looking at fines.



Whew! I'm relieved! But, I'm also thinking...Damn, I'll bet he had a blast!



Do you think it would do any good at all, if Mom suggested he go back to doing this:

Happy Birthday, My Baby Girl!!!

This day is forever marked in my heart.

I met and fell in love with my Baby Girl.

She was one of ‘those’ newborns; had a tough time figuring out night from day. Night after night, week after week, month after month…she would not sleep through the night. So I held my baby close, rocking her while I sang, “There’s a hole in my bucket” over and over and over and over…

As all babies do, she grew up. A tomboy, who at the age of three; climbed and became stuck in a Crabapple tree. She played tee-ball and would step to bat and wiggle her booty… it was her warm-up routine. My Baby Girl grew into a beautiful teenager and a caring person.

Her inner beauty and compassion are her greatest of gifts. She is now a Labor & Delivery nurse, caring for the newborns. I am so very proud of all her accomplishments. She is a supportive wife and a loving mother to my grandgirl. I remember whispering to her as she was being wheeled out to deliver her daughter, “You will now know how deeply I love you.”

My daughter and I danced to the song, “You Can’t Lose Me” at her wedding. These are our words…

"You can't lose me
Bet your life
I am here and I will always be
Just a wish away
Wherever you go
No matter how far
My love is where you are
You won't be lost if you believe
You can't lose me"

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!!
You are forever etched in my heart; always loved deeply.

You can't lose me!

Tough Times?

No doubt, we are all feeling the pinch of the recession.

Times are tough, stresses are high...everyone is feeling the effects of our current economy.

As a result of these difficult times; an organization by the name of "Treats for Troops" shut down as of June 21st. For six years, 'TFT' has been dedicated to sending packages to our soldiers. I fear, this may become a trend among volunteer groups, who donate their time and goods.

PLEASE don't let this happen.

Our soldiers deserve letters and packages from home.

These brave men and women have voluntarily stepped up, to be the defenders of our nation. Please don't take them for granted.

Our military consists of sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, cousins, nephews and nieces, grandsons and granddaughters, neighbors.

I received the nicest letter from my Marine; I am honored to be his Angel! He spoke warmly of his family, his love of God and his pride for our country.

There is a certain MudPuppy among us, who celebrates a birthday next month! Will he be home, enjoying a cold beer with his buddies and seeing his mom's eyes? No! He will still be in Afghanistan, still living in dust, still avoiding a hit by an IED, still fighting for us.

If you have never sent a package to a soldier, I'm asking you to do it once.

If you have sent a package or two in the past, thank you! Please send one more!

If you feel you can write one letter a week and mail one package a month to a soldier...please visit SoldiersAngels.

If you would like the address for Zachary, MudPuppy or Christopher (Holly's beau)...please let me know!

These are OUR soldiers!

May Almighty God Bless each and every Airman, Soldier, Sailor and Marine!

Pilot on Military Jet Dies After Training Mission Crash

TOOELE, Utah — Military officials say a pilot has died in an F-16 crash at the Utah Test and Training Range in the state's west desert.

Rhonda Elmore, of the 75th Air Base Wing public affairs office at Hill Air Force Base, says she had no information about where the pilot's body was found Tuesday.

The pilot's name was not immediately released.

The aircraft crashed Monday night while on a training mission. It was assigned to Hill Air Force Base's 388th Fighter Wing.

The cause of the crash is not known. Elmore says the F-16 was destroyed on impact.

The crash site is about 35 miles south of Wendover near the Utah-Nevada state line.

~Associated Press-June 23, 2009

May Almighty God Bless this brave Airman.
May Almighty God comfort the family who loves him so.
May Almighty God help his comrades; as they grieve the loss of a brother.

His Star Has Turned From Blue to Gold

Spc. Rodrigo A. Munguia Rivas, 27, of Germantown, Maryland was killed June 21 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by indirect fire.He was assigned to the 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. Fort Drum officials said he joined the Army in April 2008 and was deployed in January 2009.

He is survived by his mother and stepfather.


May Almighty God Bless this brave soldier and comfort the family who loves him so.