The Joy of Giving: Memorial Day Parade

This weekend I heard TAPS.   It had been a few months since I last heard it and I had no idea the emotion would flow.  (TAPS: Wordless-Wednesday)  But Memorial Day is a day to celebrate the memory of our war veterans and that we did!




Getting ready to march in our Community Parade

Memorial Day

See photo credit  MilitaryAvenue Pinterest

This Memorial Day is going to be different for us. We have many family members who have served and some who are currently serving. From World War II to present day Afghanistan with stops in Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We even have a grandson currently in basic training at Ft Leonard Wood who will do his service time as well. Praying that he will never see combat!

But this Memorial Day there is a big hole in my heart where two WW II veteran brothers used to hang out and remind us of the many sacrifices they shared. These two men passed away within a week of each other this winter and were so alike and yet so different. One year apart in age, their deaths remind us of why we celebrate Memorial Day!

Let’s Have some Summer Time Fun! Blue Star Museums and So Much More! DoD Blogger Roundtable

Military family on a nature trail

"I feel like I ran through this blog with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old playing baseball or soccer this summer!"

What is active living for the military family? It certainly must include activities across the reach of age, interest and new found geographic areas to explore after a PCS. Parenting can be a challenge before, during and after a PCS due to all the stressors impacting the whole family. But a fitness routine can help the whole family work through some of the stress involved in every day military life. A new trail, an old trail; a new workout routine, an old workout routine; a new family outdoor tradition, an old family outdoor tradition; new family projects, old family projects; even new family chores and old family chores can play a part of active living.

Want to get started with some ideas for the summer? Memorial Day is this weekend and we should remember those who have served and died for this great country in some manner but it is also the kickoff for summer! So let’s get started with some ideas from the leadership at DoD! Carol Potter and Eddy Mentzer from the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy) spoke to the Blogger Roundtable concerning some great active living ideas that meet your budget. Many are free and others are low cost and yes, we did talk about some of the impacts of sequestration.  However, the emphasis is on positive programs that you, the military family and community can enjoy, while reducing household stress, improving the lives of your military brats and staying fit!

Coming to a View Near You Almost Wordless Wednesday

A lmost    ready    to    pop...
B etter    look    now!
C olor    just    about    set    to    unfurl.
D rama    alive    in    the    garden.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Irises look like purple lipstick tubes.

3 Must Take Avenues for the the Entrepreneurial Military Spouse

I had the wonderful opportunity to share my thoughts on Military Spouse Entrepreneurship over at USAA's Spouse Community.

Image Source: Army.mil

"As an entrepreneurial military spouse you have three avenues that you must take to help build your business clientele. Part of your journey you will have a small 'toll' to pay a charge to get from your starting point to your final destination. Some of your road-trip will be on the 'free-way'; there is no charge except for your time. Part of your journey is pure open country road, taking the time to get to know the passengers, otherwise known as your new clients. All three roads are a part of your journey, a great way to get to your final destination. You could become a known professional, reliable business, and successful entrepreneur."

Wounded Warrior Creed

The Wounded Warrior Games are taking place in Colorado Springs, May 11-16.   What an amazing group of Veterans these warriors are!  The Department of Defense Community is doing a great job of covering and you can learn more in our Reading Room or at the Department of Defense Warrior Games.  

Take the time to read their Creed.  How can you apply it to your circumstances?  Their will to succeed far exceeds my heap of troubles of the day.  These are soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that we can look up to.

Redux! Happy Military Spouse Day! Let’s Talk Jobs for Spouses > DoD Blogger Roundtable

During the Happy Military Spouse Day! Let's Talk Jobs for Spouses > DoD Blogger Roundtable they told us that 36 states had passed legislation to assist military spouses with the transportability of their licenses or credentials between states which is absolutely fantastic.  I had asked which states had NOT passed legislation so we could highlight which states needed to take action > to walk the talk of support to the military community.  You can look up your governor or legislator and send them a note in support of legislation to assist military spouses with this critical issue.  

Happy Military Spouse Day! Let’s Talk Jobs for Spouses > DoD Blogger Roundtable

Do you remember...

What a great day! Celebrating the contributions of military spouses to their families, services and country! A special shout out to my favorite military spouses > MilAve_Deborah and MilAve_Leanne. Immense contributions at that but I digress from the purpose of this blog which is to announce how much progress can be said for military spouse employment and provide "How To" tools to help!

When the DoD Blogger Roundtable met yesterday afternoon there was no big announcements, no laudatory pats on the back, just continued improvement of tools that military spouses can use to find gainful employment or continued success in their choice of careers.

Active Living in the US Navy Even Has an IPhone App! DoD Blogger Roundtable

"They have an IPhone App for their program..."

Spring seems to be a great time to get started on new workout plans, healthier eating, gardens and more! May is even designated as physical fitness and sports month so it was great timing for the DoD Blogger Roundtable to discuss the US Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System and some new and better ways to help stay healthy!

As a long time advocate for a healthy lifestyle I was very interested in the topic but wanted to make sure that it would be interesting for our followers. Diana Strock, Physical Fitness and Injury Prevention Program Manager said they had “resounding feedback” from sailors that the program was helping with resilience, reducing anxiety, improving nutritional choices, fitness test scores and much more.

Then they caught my ear:

Getting Ready to Garden! How to Build a Fence and Gate for Your Garden

Primary Tools for putting in the fence posts

Enter into these Gates with Thanksgiving 

Our gardens during our years of PCS after PCS, overseas, deployments and lengthy TDYs etc. were small and mostly flowers. After retirement we settled in Michigan and focused on a vegetable garden in addition to the flower beds. We live in deer country – and rabbits, raccoons, chipmunks and more critters that love our garden too.

So we upgraded our garden fence this year! It was a good improvement and allowed us to hope for less damage from those lettuce loving animals.

Our first step was planning over the winter as we took down the previous metal pole and chicken wire fence that had served us well for a number of years but had become a bit worn and porous. We were looking for something easier to maintain and that required little expertise. We decided on treated 4 by 4 X 8 posts so we could staple a 7 foot high deer netting (plastic) to it. No tie wires, no zip ties, etc were going to be needed with the staples and wood combination.