Fleet Week-Day 3

Total Exhaustion here I tell ya........but what a wonderful experience this has been. Steve & I spent the ENTIRE day at Pier 39 today. We met the most amazing people & shook so many hands of young men & women who are serving this wonderful country. So humble when you thank them........fabulous. We met several people who were visiting. John from NY....he told us about 9/11 from his experience. He saw that 2nd plane hit the tower & was there to help afterwards. He also went to MS after Katrina. A great person. A new Army Mom & Army Wive from Oakland plus a Navy Mom from Concord....hope to see them all again. We met a gentleman who was a POW in WWII....talked to him for quite awhile....he lives up by Sacramento & was here for the show. A lovely couple was here from England.....on the way to Hawaii....Fleet Week was a pleasant surprise for them. Many many more.....Hi to all who stop by to see my blog.

Here are my photo's from today......we will have more later as Steve took 4 rolls of films. YUP!!

Fleet Week_Day 3 (Debbi's Photo's)

Fleet Week-Day 3 (Diane's)

Fleet Week Day 3_Steve's pix

Meet Joan

Here is a note I received yesterday & the picture I took of her on Saturday....bless you all & please keep her son, Maj Roger XXXXXX, in your prayers.


Hi Debbi,
I checked out your blog site - interesting. You are one busy lady.
Please let the women who send the stamped cards know that they are doing a terrific job. My son was deployed to Iraq in Oct. He e-mails me about once or twice a week, which is great. Imagine my surprise when the day before Mother's Day I got a beautiful card from him. It was blank inside and he wrote a special note to me. It is the only card/letter I have received from him, since his deployment. I have saved it. Thank-you, not only from me, but for all the mother's who received cards. He will be Iraq for another Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, but should be home the end of January 08.
Joan

THIS WAS TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE

I got this from one of my cardmakers & had to share as it could come from any of us.......it's long but worth it I think. I hope you agree. I added a prayer I found at the end. TISSUE ALERT!

MILITARY WIFE'S REQUEST

I was sitting alone in one of those loud, casual steak houses that you find all over the country. You know the type--a bucket of peanuts on every table, shells littering the floor, and a bunch of perky college kids racing around with long neck beers and sizzling platters.

Taking a sip of my iced tea, I studied the crowd over the rim of my glass. My gaze lingered on a group enjoying their meal. They wore no uniform to identify their branch of service, but they were definitely "military:" clean shaven, cropped haircut, and that "squared away" look that comes with pride. Smiling sadly, I glanced across my table to the empty seat where my husband usually sat. It had only been a few months since we sat in this very booth, talking about his upcoming deployment to the Middle East . That was when he made me promise to get a sitter for the kids, come back to this restaurant once a month and treat myself to a nice steak. In turn he would treasure the thought of me being here, thinking about him until he returned home. I fingered the little flag pin I constantly wear and wondered where he was at this very moment. Was he safe and warm? Was his cold any better? Were my letters getting through to him? As I pondered these thoughts, high pitched female voices from the next booth broke into my thoughts.

"I don't know what Bush is thinking about. Invading Iraq . You'd think that man would learn from his old man's mistakes. Good lord. What an idiot! I can't believe he is even in office. You do know, he stole the election." I cut into my steak and tried to ignore them, as they began an endless tirade running down our president. I thought about the last night I spent with my husband, as he prepared to deploy. He had just returned from getting his smallpox and anthrax shots. The image of him standing in our kitchen packing his gas mask still gives me chills. Once again the women's voices invaded my thoughts. "It is all about oil, you know. Our soldiers will go in and rape and steal all the oil they can in the name of 'freedom'. Hmmm! I wonder how many innocent people they'll kill without giving it a thought? It's pure greed, you know." My chest tightened as I stared at my wedding ring. I could still see how handsome my husband looked in his "mess dress" the day he slipped it on my finger. I wondered what he was wearing now. Probably his desert uniform, affectionately dubbed "coffee stains" with a heavy bulletproof vest over it.

"You know, we should just leave Iraq alone. I don't think they are hiding any weapons. In fact, I bet it's all a big act just to increase the president's popularity. That's all it is, padding the military budget at the expense of our social security and education. And, you know what else? We're just asking for another 9-11. I can't say when it happens again that we didn't deserve it." Their words brought to mind the war protesters I had watched gathering outside our base. Did no one even appreciate the sacrifice of brave men and women, who leave their homes and family to ensure our freedom? Do they even know what "freedom" is?

I glanced at the table where the young men were sitting, and saw their courageous faces change. They had stopped eating and looked at each other dejectedly, listening to the women talking. "Well, I, for one, think it's just deplorable to invade Iraq , and I am certainly sick of our tax dollars going to train professional baby-killers we call a military." Professional baby-killers? I thought about what a wonderful father my husband is, and of how long it would be before he would see our children again.

That's it! Indignation rose up inside me. Normally reserved, pride in my husband gave me a brassy boldness I never realized I had. Tonight one voice will answer on behalf of our military, and let her pride in our troops be known. Sliding out of my booth, I walked around to the adjoining booth and placed my hands flat on their table. Lowering myself to eye level with them, smiling I said, "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. You see, I'm sitting here trying to enjoy my dinner alone. And, do you know why? Because my husband, whom I love with all my heart, is halfway around the world defending your right to say rotten things about him." "Yes, you have the right to your opinion, and what you think is none of my business. However, what you say in public is something else, and I will not sit by and listen to you ridicule MY country, MY president, MY husband, and all the other fine American men and women who put their lives on the line, just so you can have the "freedom" to complain. Freedom is an expensive commodity, ladies. Don't let your actions cheapen it." I must have been louder than I meant to be, because the manager came over to inquire if everything was all right. "Yes, thank you," I replied.” then, turning back to the women, I said, "Enjoy the rest of your meal."

As I returned to my booth applause broke out. I was embarrassed for making a scene, and went back to my half eaten steak. The women picked up their check and scurried away. After finishing my meal, and while waiting for my check, the manager returned with a huge apple cobbler ala mode "Compliments of those soldiers," he said. He also smiled and said the ladies tried to pay for my dinner, but that another couple had beaten them to it. When I asked who, the manager said they had already left, but that the gentleman was a veteran, and wanted to take care of the wife of "one of our boys."

With a lump in my throat, I gratefully turned to the soldiers and thanked them for the cobbler. Grinning from ear to ear, they came over and surrounded the booth. "We just wanted to thank you, ma'am. You know we can't get into confrontations with civilians, so we appreciate what you did."

As I drove home, for the first time since my husband's deployment, I didn't feel quite so alone. My heart was filled with the warmth of the other diners who stopped by my table, to relate how they, too, were proud of my husband, and would keep him in their prayers. I knew their flags would fly a little higher the next day. Perhaps they would look for more tangible ways to show their pride in our country, and the military who protect her. And maybe, just maybe, the two women who were railing against our country, would pause for a minute to appreciate all the freedom America offers, and the price it pays to maintain it's freedom. As for me, I have learned that one voice CAN make a difference. Maybe the next time protesters gather outside the gates of the base where I live, I will proudly stand on the opposite side with a sign of my own. It will simply say, "Thank You!" To those who fought for our Nation: Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !
Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders. Pass this on to as many as you think will respond. "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior."

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground, air and navy personnel in every area of the middle east. There is nothing attached....This can be very powerful.. Just send this to all the people in your address book. Do not stop this prayer chain, please.... Of all the gifts you could give to anyone in the US Military, be it Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines or National Guard, Prayer is the very best one....Amen.

PRAYER FOR THOSE IN THE U.S. MILITARY

Almighty God, We stand before You asking for Your divine mercy and protection. Embrace with Your invincible armour our loved ones in all branches of the US Military service.
Give them courage and strength against all enemies

Weekend Update

I'm sure there are some out there who are wondering why I haven't spoken about "The Communicator" formerly known as 'the boy' (he's been Phased UP). Our thought about that is that if we call him such he may just do it! As I reported before he had finally received orders (not actually in hand tho) about his permanent duty station. He was to report to MO. Well when he got his wallet stolen they also got his military ID so he was unable to travel without that. In the time it took to replace the ID it seems that his orders were lost also (not by him). I guess because of that he lost his spot in MO. He had signed up to be assigned to Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) for 1 of 3 locations (Korea which he gets a bonus, Germany & Hawaii)....he would kind of be like "Radar" in MASH......3 guesses where MOM would like him to go. ALOHA! These spots would most likely keep him from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan for some time to come. Prayer request inserted here! We do not want him going to Germany at this time due to that widow he met online....she's not a good thing in this mother's opinion. Most likely he will be in GA til after the 4th now.

We had a very nice weekend here. Stayed home Friday evening..............talked to "The Communicator" for quite a while which hadn't happened of late......that was very, very nice. Saturday morning we headed out to the local flea market. Steve found a couple of things tho not what he was specifically looking for. I found a new Flamingo to add to my collection......isn't he cute? After that we headed home to clean up as we were invited to dinner with The Balsley's. That was a great evening.....good food, good friends........who could ask for more?

Sunday morning I let Steve sleep in (Cocoa did too). When he woke I gave him his card (made him cry this time).

"The Communicator" called at a respectable time for a change too. I then took Steve to brunch at one of our favorite spots for breakfast, Cafe Vasiliki. Unfortunately our server left a bit to be desired which we have never had happen there....thankfully others picked up her slack. My Spanish Omelet was great as always tho it wasn't as hot at it should have been being she left it sit for about 5 min. Steve had a special for Father's Day......Cajun Crab Cakes done in an Egg Benedict style with a Cajun Hollandaise sauce. He requested & got scrambled eggs as his grandmother made him eat poached eggs way to much & he now can not stand them. From there we stopped at Walgreens to get me some batteries for my camera.....buy 1 get 1 free time (CRV3, CR2 or 123, their brand which are awesome). Then to Home Depot which didn't have what we needed & then to Target were we got this CD he wanted, A Song for My Father, which is exclusive to Target & has songs by the offspring of , among others, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Carlos Santana to name a few. Found a few other goodies & left. After that we stopped at The Balsley's to get something that they want Steve to personalize for Michael......after a bit of a visit we headed home.

BBQ'd some chicken, watched a little TV (ARMY WIVES nite ya know), have I mentioned how much we like this show?, & then to bed. A very good weekend here. Hope everyone had a good one.

TOYS FOR TROOPS

In my travels around the internet I found this wonderful Army Mom who's son made a little request of her (those kids can get us to do just about anything can't they?). He wanted some beanie babies to give out to the children in Iraq! So she started a little project she calls Toys for Troops. Check out her blog to see what you can do to help. Toys for Troops

New Scam Targets Military Spouses

I know I'm trying to post good news these days but I saw this yesterday & shared with Butterfly Wife but it was mentioned that this has happened to Military Parents also so I am posting it here too. Unfortunately there are some awful people out there....so sad.

New Scam Targets Military Spouses
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 31, 2007 - The American Red Cross is warning military spouses about a new identity-theft scam that targets family members of deployed troops.
The Red Cross was alerted of the scam earlier this month, said Devorah Goldburg of the Red Cross.
The scam involves a person with an American accent calling a military spouse, identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq and was medically evacuated to Germany. The caller then says that doctors can't start treatment until paperwork is completed, and that to start the paperwork they need the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth.
It is hard to determine how many spouses have been targeted by this scam, Goldburg said, as there are many ways for spouses to report problems like this. However, one confirmed report was enough for the Red Cross to act, she said.
"We know that it happened to one person; it was probably going to happen to others, and we wanted to be prudent and alert people," she said.
American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant, according to a Red Cross news release. Military family members are urged not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown individuals, including confirmation that their spouse is deployed.
In addition, Red Cross representatives contact military members or dependents directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by a family member, the news release said. The Red Cross does not report any type of casualty information to family members; the Defense Department will contact families directly about family members' injuries.
It is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for a person to fraudulently pretend to be a member of, or an agent for, the American Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material, according to the news release. Any military family member that receives such a call is urged to report it to their local family readiness group or military personnel flight.

NO HALLMARK STORES IN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN!

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers. My only son (our only child actually) is in the US ARMY. We send packages overseas to the troops (we get names from families & friends plus we have contact names over there who hand goodies out) & also put cards in the packages to them & for them to send home to their loved ones. Cards needed right now are All Occasion Cards (Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Hello, Friend, Missing you & kids cards for them to send to their children at home) by end of June (next mailing will be end of September). These cards should be blank inside for the service member to write inside to their loved ones, must be with regular envelopes...back of card tucked into envie (no clear ones please) & if you do do dark paper please put light color insert so they can write on that. We always want Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside (thank you for your service, you are in my prayers, hope you come home to your loved ones soon, etc). Due to security issues these envelopes (envelopes are not required for the thank you cards to them if you don't want to put them in one) must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 cards at Christmas & several emails this past mailing) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside (I have been getting emails). We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me with any questions you may have or to ask for the address to mail the cards to: pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com (please don't disrespect the troops by using this email to send spam!). This will be a year round project. http://dddzstmpn.blogspot.com

Hallmark doesn't have stores in Iraq or Afghanistan

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers....my only son (only child actually) is in the US ARMY. On March 24th (if you can't make this date then send for next mailing which will be end of June) we will be sending packages overseas to troops & would like to put cards in the packages. I am requesting Easter cards & Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside. Due to security issues the envelopes must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 responses at Christmas) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside. I am also sending cards (blank inside) that the troops can use to send home to friends & family (ie:birthday cards, miss you, thinking of you, thank you cards & just because cards) ....don't you think the moms/dads/aunts/uncles, etc would love to send cards home to the little ones?......these will need envelopes but they do get free postage. We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me at pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com & I will answer any questions you may have & give you address where to send the cards. I am hoping to do this year round as we send packages multiple times of the year.

Thanks goes out to Sarah who has posted my blog on her's asking for donations to Cards for the Troops. Check out her blog....some great ideas to see.

Cards for the Troops

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers....my only son is in the US ARMY. In March we will be sending packages overseas to troops & would like to put cards in the packages. I am requesting Easter cards & Thank you cards from you....with a personal note inside. Due to security issues the envelopes must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 responses at Christmas) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside. I am also sending blank cards that the troops can use to send home to friends & family (ie:birthday cards, thinking of you, thank you cards & just because cards) ....these will need envelopes but they do get free postage. We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me at pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo & I will answer any questions you may have & give you address where to send the cards. I am hoping to do this year round as we send packages multiple times of the year.