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The Many Benefits of a Garden
We had our first taste of spring here in Northeast-Ohio this week. Windows cracked, doors open, breathe in that fresh air! With this taste of weather to come brings thoughts of my summer garden. I have bought the seeds, diagrammed what and where I am going to plant, and dreamed big thoughts about this upcoming summer’s produce. The Garden, my passion, on so many fronts. It embodies good health, good stewardship, and good eats! Emotional Have you ever picked up a hoe and pounded the dirt? Got down on your knees and ripped out weeds with gusto? Cut flowers from around the garden for a beautiful bouquet in your kitchen?…
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Virtual Reality and PTSD – DoD Roundtable
Our combat veterans see things with a different shade of glasses! Their survival instincts and experiences have highly toned their ability to react when facing combat situations. These same experiences and instincts are embedded into their brains upon their return from the combat arena and would surprise many Americans with little contact with the military or their families. These responses can lead to PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) and the symptoms of heightened heart rates, high levels of awareness of surroundings, sweat, anxiety, fear of crowds, strong emotions and many others. Seeing or feeling circumstances similar to combat threats such as a pile of garbage along a road (IED location)…
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The Military Family Should Be the Next “TIME Person of the Year”
The Military Family is a Hero group! Self sacrifice is their first name and we come in all sizes and shapes! There is not a more diverse group of Americans who serve their country. Often unrecognized, it would be wonderful to see the group put in the spotlight in some manner. Maybe it would encourage civilian friends, neighbors and local businesses to take notice and offer a helping hand when needed; or someone to share a cup of coffee with a lonely spouse during their X number of deployments? I had a great opportunity to interview Kristen Tsetsi about one way to spark recognition for the military family. Kristen is…
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MilitaryAvenue meets Bob Woodruff – Stand Up For Heroes
War is not a pretty subject. Neither is fear, deployment, amputation, separation, PTSD. Others start wars, individuals receive the trauma. Others can turn off the horrors, by switching a TV channel, some try to change position in a wheelchair. Life. We take it or we value it. I sat face to face with Bob Woodruff, a man who was at the pinnacle of his career 5 years ago. He was offered the opportunity to talk about the war as he accepted the co-anchor position on ABC News. The table where we sat was so polished that I could see his reflection perfectly, and remembered what it was like seeing him…
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Distractions
Distractions are a good thing. Distractions kept me sane during hub’s deployment in Iraq. My boys had swim lessons, soccer camp; we had time with family and friends during deployment. All things that kept my mind from focusing on the one person I was missing the most, my soldier! We were busy, we were distracted, life was only as good as we made it. Distracting ourselves at the local park’s Butterfly HabitatDistractions are keeping me sane during these last few days of pregnancy. I had contractions ALL weekend but they weren’t getting any stronger or any closer. If I sat down all I noticed was the contractions. All I could…
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Women to Serve in the Silent Service (Navy Submarines Preparing for Female Sailors) – DoD Roundtable
What a great Roundtable discussion! Rear Adm. Barry Bruner, Commander Submarine Group Ten and lead for the Task Force for Women in Submarines gave the Roundtable details on the current plan to place female officers aboard the Navy’s submarines! Training will start this summer! The Admiral answered questions and explained the Navy’s needs to expand the nuclear career pool by inviting women to pursue submarine careers. Obviously, placing women in submarines is controversial and the questions touched on those issues but the admiral addressed each one fairly and explained the needs of the Navy were driving the requirement. According to the admiral, the number of males receiving technical degrees in…
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Taking Time to Taste some Green
Destination Georgia. Departure Michigan. Expectation sun and fun and warmth and great time with hubs.The destination occurred. Departure was early and accurate. Expectations can change like the weather. Fun with Dale… you betcha! Tennessee was coated with fresh snow. Drivers were jumping with frayed nerves. Rays of sunlight were sparking and flying with clods of snow flying off of car and truck roofs, as if snowballs were being thrown at the anxiety filled folks who’s windshields had refracted sunlight that caused their braking foot to clamp down to the floor. Yet they were able to breath. They made it through curves and turns and we made it to our hotel.…
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Reflections
Eight years ago today America witnessed the raping of their own security on home-turf. I can recall with great clarity the happenings of the day. I had a migraine headache and had laid down for just a bit. That headache to soon be all but forgotten. My co-worker called to see if I had heard ‘the news’, that a plane had hit a major-building in New York City. I turned on TV and just sat there in stunned silence all day. I remember watching as the newscaster being astonished that a plane had hit a second building. A plane had hit the Pentagon. Reports of another downed plane in Pennsylvania…
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Life has secrets that can be easy to unwrap.
It is Blue Monday today. Traditionally the 3rd Monday in January gets this title! Blue because the credit cards bills are rolling in; it is dark out there – particularly north of the Mason Dixon line and New Year’s resolutions might have been broken, smashed and forgotten, and the quilt is seeping down to the kneecaps. It is a real feeling that a huge percentage of Americans are feeling now. So, meet it head on. Here are 3 dozen winning thoughts on how to climb up from the blues. Don’t borrow trouble~ If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain. Even…
