Veterans History Project

I stumbled across a very interesting project today; The Veterans History Project.

(The) primary focus is on first-hand accounts of U.S. Veterans from the following wars:

* World War I (1914-1920)
* World War II (1939-1946)
* Korean War (1950-1955)
* Vietnam War (1961-1975)
* Persian Gulf War (1990-1995)
* Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present)

In addition, those U.S. citizen civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.) are also invited to share their valuable stories.

The United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The authorizing legislation (Public Law 106-380), sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate, received unanimous support and was signed into law by President William Jefferson Clinton on October 27, 2000.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), America is losing her veterans at a rate of over 1,000 each day.

Our veterans deserve to be honored and their stories available for generations to come. I have been doing family genealogy recently and what a find it will be for families in the future to come across these stories. I would have loved to find something like this. But, the generations I am researching did not have the technology that is available now. Too many stories have been buried and lost. It is sad that I do not have stories to tell my children about their great, great grandparents. What a delight it will be for a great, great grandchild to one day find a recording in the Library of Congress of his or her relatives. To be able see them and to hear their own personal account will be such a treasure.

There is a packet that can be downloaded. There are suggested questions and all kinds of tips to make this a great interview even if you don't have the experience. I encourage everyone to participate. Our Veterans are the reason why our country is strong and wonderful. They have helped to preserve our rights and freedoms. The least we can do to thank them is to give a little of our time and listen.

I'm not sure who I'm grabbing and interviewing but I will find someone. I bet there is a lonely person in a Nursing Home with some wonderful stories. Also, soon my nephew will be home from Iraq and I know he has stories.

(Hat-Tip to Senator Jim DeMint for promoting this project on his webpage.)

Prayers, Faith, and Humor from above

When Daredevil was in bootcamp, my sanity was saved by a group of ladies whose sons were at Parris Island too. We forged a bond a year ago and still stay in daily contact. They are my lifeline sometimes.

One of the mothers has a son who is deployed to Afghanistan right now. Up until a week or so ago, she had heard from him about every other day. Now, nothing for over a week. Needless to say she is worried. The Causalities board is constantly checked (it is under maintenance at the time I write this). There have been five causalities in the past week in Afghanistan but the names have not been released. She rationalizes that if something had happened she would have heard something by now.

But, we, mothers, know that may work on your head but not your heart. The image of men in dress blues showing up at your door haunts your dreams and thoughts. We have all been worried for her. We have kept her son in our prayers. She is a woman of faith also. She has been praying constantly. She feels a little better after an incident this weekend. She relates,

"I did have a funny experience -- anyone who believes in God knows that he has a great sense of humor. I was at (the) Lake this weekend, walking down a path bordered by farmland on one side and forest on the other. I was thinking about (son) and I stopped for a quiet moment of prayer and added, "Please God, just give me a sign that my son is OK." I walked another few feet and then turned to go back to the cottage. Right there, very close to the spot where I'd been standing when I stopped was a very old rusted SIGN for some sort of fertilizer or weed-killer called Ora-K. The "O" and the "K" were large and the other letters were smaller and faded with age. Ha! I got my "sign," alright. I laughed all the way back to the cottage. I suppose I ought to relax now, huh?"

Sometimes faith is all we have. Please add her and her son as well as all of the other men and women over there to your prayers.

My kind of math

I'm surprised my kids didn't do these.

Tidbits from the Past

I'm doing genealogy research and have found that a portion of the newspapers throughout Florida have been archived at the University of Florida and are viewable online through their Digital Collection.

Currently, I'm looking through the 1899 Editions of The Florida Index, the weekly Lake City, Florida, newspaper at the time.

This excerpt is from Nov. 3, 1899.

This widower isn't dating. He is "running a preparatory department in society". He "hauls the girls about". That makes 'em sound like a sack of feed or something. I just wonder exactly which part of marriage he was preparing them for.

Terrible momma

I'm such a terrible momma. The A/C went out at the house and I bailed and left town. I'm in a nice cool hotel room in Charlotte, NC, while Chowhound and the dog sweat it out at home.

UPDATE: I've learned not to brag. The AC went out in our meeting room today. What goes around comes around. The AC gremlins seem to be following me.

Luckily, I am cold natured and even though the thermostat said 83 I was still comfortable. No one else was but I was. I was freezing during the first half of the day so I figure it's only fair.

My days are numbered

13 days until Daredevil comes home on leave (YEAH!!)
30 days until Daredevil leaves again and heads to Iraq (BOO HOO)
41 days until Chowhound leaves for Marine Corps Bootcamp (BOO HOO)
58 days until Improviser leaves for Air Force Bootcamp (BOO HOO)
59 days until it's just the dog and I.

While I am extremely proud of my boys, this part of life SUCKS!

Pain free!

I want to jump up and down and shout with joy. My head doesn't hurt this morning!! The first time in five days. I feel like a new person. I just hope this lasts a really, really long time.

Daredevil Update

Daredevil got the cast removed from his leg yesterday. He said the doc looked and looked and looked at the x-rays and couldn't find where it had been broken. His leg is weak now but he is walking on it and I'm sure will be running again in no time. He has been told he can take leave and come home Aug. 16 through Sept. 2. He will be going to Iraq sometime around the middle of Sept. He will be on the Syrian border at a post called Korean Village. Here are some pics I found on the internet. I'm not sure when these were taken. Yeah, they just opened a new internet facility at the base.

Currently, Daredevil is at Camp Pendleton, CA. We thought that it would be a step up into civilization compared to the facilities and location of 29 Plams, CA. Twenty-nine palms is isolated. Daredevil couldn't wait to leave there. It was a long and lonely six months. Camp Pendleton is between LA and San Diego. Again, we thought it would be more advanced and accessible. First, he was in a part of Camp Pendleton called Las Pogus. It has an exchange about the size of a convenience store, an internet facility and a couple of fast food places. But, was far more isolated than 29 Palms. Add to the fact that Daredevil arrived on crutches. He was very limited and bored. After about 10 days he was transferred to Las Flores. It makes Las Pogus look inviting. The exchange is in a semi tractor trailer and although there is a Subway sandwich shop it is closed on weekends. That's it. No internet. Poor child. He keeps going from bad to worse and the next stop is Iraq. I bet when he returns to the states he will have a greater appreciation for all the luxuries we have. Las Flores may even look good. The bright side is he is saving up a lot of money. There is no where to spend it. I think there is a method to the Marine Corps madness.

OUCH!

I came home from work about a week or so ago to find blood spots all over my house. It seems my dog, Remington, developed a fast growing tumor that ruptured. The vet said it is skin cancer and had to be removed.

So, here is my pitiful dog after surgery. He was still doped up and on pain meds in the picture. Also, someone at the vet's office has a sense of humor. They are the ones who wrote "ouch" on his bandage.

Why I love my children

I found this on Chowhound's Myspace:

Well I have gotten news about a change. Unfortunately, I have to leave a month earlier. I got a call saying that I'm now scheduled to leave September 15. The reason they gave was because they need a marimba player. So I guess that's a good thing, I guess I'm the only one that can fill that spot. There's nothing I can do about it. Its just the way these things go. This seems to be hard on my mom because, well, I'm leaving in September, (Daredevil) is going over to Iraq in September as well, and my oldest brother is leaving for the Air Force some time in October or something like that, so shes kinda down. I think she'll be fine, she just has to worry about herself now. If you care to leave her a message or a smile you never now how much a small thing like that can improve someones mood.

I hate that he worries about me but I'm glad that he cares.

Six word Memoir MeMe Part II

VWBug has tagged me with the Six Word memoir meme. I did this once already but I'll play again. Last time I came up with:

From Chaos to Serendipity since 1964.

That pretty much describes my life. Now time to get more creative.

wild child neurotic mother now what?

This is how I feel

A friend sent this with the caption, "Have you ever felt this way?" Yeah, that's exactly how I feel right now. I just don't look that cute with that scowl on my face.

Empty nest coming fast

The time with Daredevil flew by. He is now at Camp Pendleton. He has a couple more weeks in the cast and then he will be preparing to deploy to Iraq. My heart sank yesterday when he mentioned that little tidbit of information. He kinda slid it into the conversation. He sounded apprehensive about it. Now I know why. I googled Northern Iraq. Daredevil mentioned that he would be sent to that region. It seems that is one of the hottest spots right now.

Violence is at its lowest level in Iraq in four years, according to U.S. officials. But al Qaeda in Iraq maintains an active presence in northern Iraq and U.S. and Iraqi raids regularly target them. (emphasis mine)

Great. Crap. I hate the Internet sometimes. Ignorance is bliss. I want to crawl back under my rock. The tentative date is sometime in mid September.

Chowhound has his second audition for the Marine Corps Band tomorrow morning. Someone from Parris Island is coming down to evaluate him. Although, he performs percussion in the front ensemble mainly on the Marimba, he has to audition on the snare drums. Fortunately, he has a drum set so he has been able to practice the rudiments he has to know. I hope they take into consideration that he only started learning them a month ago. Chowhound is a talented musician. I'm sure he will have no problems tomorrow. Once, Chowhound is accepted into the Band then he can firm up his date to report to Parris Island for Bootcamp. Right now, it is either September 8 or sometime in October. They told him they changed it but he doesn't have it in writing so I'm not banking on it.

Improviser leaves for Air Force Bootcamp in October as well. His brothers badgered and tormented him until he finally enlisted. I think it will be great for him. He has been living in indecision since he graduated three years ago. His attitude changed immediately once he made the commitment. He signed on for 6 years. He has a test scheduled for Thursday to determine if he is eligible for the computer programming billet. He scored an overall 87 on the ASVAB (a minimum score of 49 is needed to even get in any of the services). He made a 94 on the mathematics portion. They said he can pretty much get into any field he wants. He is my computer geek so I hope he does well Thursday.

So, more than likely my boys will be scattered out around the world by Christmas time. It will be my first Christmas without them. I'm tearing up now just thinking about it. I am so not ready for this.

My boys are home

MY BOYS ARE ALL HOME! I HAVE BLOG FODDER AGAIN!!!

My world has been quiet since Daredevil left for California January 2. It's been Chowhound, me and the dog. Improviser visits every now and then but he has been gone for almost 3 years. So, the quiet lingers in the house. Not much blog fodder is made. Life has just been trolling, quietly along almost uneventfully. There have been birthdays and graduations but no drama.

Well, that has changed. Daredevil showed up unexpectedly. He is home on 15 days leave. He got into town 4 days before I did. Chowhound and I have been in the Turks and Caicos Islands spending time with my Sweetie. Daredevil and Improviser picked us up at the airport. My jaw dropped and I did a *blink* when I saw him. Chowhound knew all along and never said a word. I was wondering why that child was bouncing off the walls like he needed Ritalin. He was pestering the shit out of my on the way home Sunday. Stealing my scrunchie out of my hair. Poking me. And, just being a genuine smart ass. He has missed Daredevil so bad. Daredevil booked his trip before I booked mine but didn't want to say anything. So, I missed out on this first four days of leave.

On to the blog fodder. My office phone rings at about 8 this morning. It's my EX telling me Daredevil is on the way to the emergency room. It seems Chowhound spotted a hula hoop on a roof and Daredevil felt compelled to retrieve it. The landing wasn't pretty. He broke his foot. I leave those two boys together for less than 14 hours and look what happens.

I love the chaos. I'm off to go fix their favorite, Chicken and Dumplings.

I'm going to cherish the next 10 days!!!

Always Remember

Abstract and Random

Yep. That's me.

Your Thinking is Abstract and Random

You are flexible, adaptable, and creative. There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them. You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups. You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths. You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial. You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

She singing about my life

If you ever get the opportunity to see Martina McBride in concert, GO! Don't think twice. Just GO! She is phenomenal. The woman has so much energy and puts all of herself into her singing. She is better live than recorded. I don't think I've ever thought that about a performer before. I don't see how she can sing like that night after night without straining her voice. She a gift to reach inside your soul and touch your heart. Her songs all have meaning and inspiration. They hit home on so many levels. I am still astonished by the magnitude with which she sang each song and note. WOW. Just WOW.

I lost it when she sang Concrete Angel. I tried discretely to wipe away the tears running down my face but others noticed. Chowhound consoled me by saying that he was sure I was probably not the only one.

I don't have daughters but my sons rescued me so I totally relate to In my Daughter's Eyes. Change daughters to sons and it applies to me.

The end of the song talks about "one day when they leave". That's the trouble I'm having now. I never thought I would have difficulty in the transition to the "empty nest". I was just fooling myself and talking out my a$$. Chowhound is the only one left at home now. He graduates from high school next month. I was okay with that as he has been talking about going to the Jr. college here. That was cool. I can do that. He changed his mind. He has decided to following in Daredevil's footsteps and join the Marines. He signs the papers Monday. He won't leave until September at the earliest. So, I have the summer with him and to adjust to his leaving. I'm a basket case already. I hate to see myself in a few months.

I know this opens up opportunities for me also. But, I'm scared. For over 22 years my life has revolved around my children. They rescued me from a destructive lifestyle. Becoming a mother was the best thing to ever happen to me. It is who I am and I am proud of that. I am proud of my boys. Who ever said that having children is like having your heart walk around out side your body was dead on. I feel so vulnerable.

Choice

I CHOOSE determination and persistence over quitting every time. I will attain my goals.

Prosperity Affirmations

This week I'm going to be posting affirmations design to attract wealth and prosperity and the means for getting help. I need a new roof on my house. I have siding that needs replacing. The carpets need removed and replaced with wood or tile. I need a new backdoor. Plus I would love to do some serious remodeling. My kitchen is ancient and needs updating. So, I am going to concentrate on money and resources to accomplish the things I need to get done.

I am a financially independent and prosperous being. I recognize that independent doesn't mean that I can't ask for or accept help and resources in my journey to attain the things that I need.

Weekend Blues

I was in Tampa singing the blues this weekend. Tampa's annual Blues Fest Rocks!

Last night was Los Lonely Boys and Walter Trout.






We danced and jammed and people watched. Fun was had by all. I was envious of the people sitting on their boats listening to the music. But, then again they couldn't see the show only the backs of the booths and the port-a-potties. So, come to think of it we had a much better seat. The weather was perfect. A slight breeze and no bugs. The music was fantastic.

I'm going back next year.