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This Christmas Tree is not a Holiday Tree
This is a Christmas Tree, it is an evergreen, has family ornaments and a few strings of lights that are painstakingly placed. This weekend the governor of at least one state (Rhode Island) announced that the tree in their capitol rotunda was a “Holiday Tree” in the name of political correctness, plain and simple. I do not know many other religions that celebrate the holiday season with this type of tree. Yes, I realize it really may not be a symbol of Christianity (just like Santa Claus is not) except for the star on top and many of the ornaments that are placed with Christian symbols. However, Mr Governor, the…
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Christmas Traditions Decorating at Home and at Church
As the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is down to turkey salad, Christmas decorations are hauled from the closets. Boxes, cartons and plastic bins hold memories, treasures and herald the coming holiday. The last plastic bin was rifled through hoping to reveal perky Christmas towels. There on the bottom, as if an afterthought was a sheet of typed, well copied paper from Keflavik Naval Air Station’s PWOC about Christmas tree history. A paper reminder of good times, great ladies, strong values: military spouses of all services and NATO nations. Christmas Tree HistorySince the earliest days of the bringing of evergreens indoors at Christmastime has been one of the first ways of giving…
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Happy 10 Year Anniversary!
Hubs and I celebrated 10 years of marriage this past week. Ten years! That seems huge to me, in this age of short term relationships, marriages falling apart, rampant-divorce. I can’t wait till we hit our 20 year anniversary and then our 30th, 40th, 50th but for now I can’t help but look back at the past ten and smile. 10 Random Facts: Hubs and I danced to Susan Ashton’s Spinning Like A Wheel “This is good, and this is strong. So hold to me and I’ll belong to you.” Great lyrics to an unknown love song. Hubs and I met at our mutual friends’ wedding in October of 1996. We didn’t…
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Sermon Notes: We are Equipped
Many years ago (back in high school) I read a book This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti. I was never a big reader but this book captivated me, scared me, reminded me of the Protection that surrounds me. I can distinctly remember going into my family room while in the midst of this book one late night, turning on my parents’ new CD player, finding my dad’s good head-set and blasting the song, “Ashton” by Michael W. Smith…. (ok, maybe there is a reason I’m a little deaf. But I digress.) Ashton is also the name of the town that This Present Darkness takes place in. A town where…
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Seriously?! Don’t Tread on Me!
Once in awhile things get my goat. Is it that my grandfathers, my father and my husband all served to protect our freedoms as Americans? That I recognize what the American Flag stands for? That I hope my children recognize the freedoms others have fought so hard for … “California Students Sent Home for Wearing U.S. Flags on Cinco de Mayo“I’ll admit: I don’t think I have a trace of Mexican in me. I am a melting pot of ethnicity from generations gone back, but Mexican … I don’t think it is in there. HOWEVER, we still had our fun at dinner time last night and enjoyed Tacos, one of…
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Haiti Naval Task Force Commander – DoD Roundtable
The DoD Blogger Roundtable hosted U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ted Branch, commander, Carrier Strike Group One aboard USS Carl Vinson off the coast of Port-au-Prince to discuss the overall naval effort to Operation Unified Response-Haiti. Admiral Branch said the effort of the sailors and marines has been outstanding and that they felt that it was “important work” and they did “make a difference in peoples’ lives”. He felt that it was “heartwarming” for those making contact with the Haitians to see their response and appreciation. The ships engineer groups have been able to assist with infrastructure problems such as generators, wells, pumps, roads, etc to better provide resources and reduce…
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Our Families, Our Military Community, Our Local Community, Our Churches, Our Country
Yesterday was a very sad day in Middleville. It could have been Anytown, USA but yesterday Middleville really shined in my eyes! After retirement the hardest choices have to be made and certainly one of the top ones is where next? We came to Michigan for several reasons even though we had not lived in the area before. Two of our children were nearby and I found a job but as with a PCS there is settling into do. Yesterday we were “settled” and proud of it! Cpl Nick Roush was buried yesterday by his parents and two brothers after being killed in Afghanistan. Actually a whole community of supporters…
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Oh the trauma…
Warning: for the squeemish I do have a pretty graphic picture below, involving a bit of blood. All in the ‘day in the life’ of a boy… but not exactly a pretty picture. Hubby can not get home a day too soon! My six year-old missed school on Thursday and Friday due to a pretty rotten cold and temperature ranging from 99 to 103 throughout the day & night. So our days have just been messed up. Unfortunately, on Friday night I started to feel the same way; achy, hot yet shivering, with a major headache. I love it when the kids share, but they don’t need to share their…
