The Best and Worst Times of My Life-2004

This year brought me unbearable sadness as I dealt with the last few months of my father's life.  I was honored to take care of him at home, right up until his failing body released his sweet spirit.  In spite of the pain I felt while watching his disease progress and his subsequent death, I grew and learned from the experience.  I tapped in to an inner strength that went beyond what I thought I possessed, especially the fortitude gained from nearly 24 years of prison work.  That "Never let them see you sweat!" facade that I've had to wear all those years often made me feel somewhat infallable, but couldn't compare to the strength I needed to watch my father die.  For that, I am thankful. 

In 2004 I took some major financial risks, with a little prompting from FlyBoy, who's proving to be a great money manager.  I really had to leave my comfort zone, follow my gut instincts, trust the judgement of others and take a chance on the real estate market.  I have benefitted beyond my wildest dreams and for that financial security, I am extremely grateful.    

Tonight, my real estate agent provided Ab and I with a New Years Eve feast in the condo that I purchased for a rental.  The beautiful centerpiece pictured above, adorned our dinner table, ladened with crusty bread, salad, green beans,  cheesy potatoes and the perfectly cooked prime rib, with creamy horseradish sauce.  For her kindness, friendship and counsel, I am very blessed. 

My loving family and closest friends (including my journal buddies) have been sources of comfort, joy and help during this year when I have needed it most.  I thank God for their presence in my life. 

Happy New Year to you and yours! 

Unexpected Gifts

Never did I expect to make lasting friendships when I began journaling here.  My most frequent reader/commenter, supporter and cheerleader is Lisa, from Coming to Terms with Middle Age and I am blessed to have her in my life.  She never fails to touch my heart with the most appropriate comment, when it's needed most. 

I had the very good fortune to meet her and spend a delightful day in her company this past summer, proving to her husband that I was not an axe murderer after all.   And, in the not too distant future, I hope to be able to spend some more time with her while she shows me the sights of her adopted home state.  We'll be the ones with the cameras around our necks hoping to get a perfect shot for our journals. 

Anyway, she recently wrote me and asked for my home address and told me that she was creating some ornaments for her family and wanted to send me one.  I was so touched, and in my effort to try to make Ab's Christmas the best ever, I asked if she'd be kind enough to send it to Ab instead of me. 

But, this special lady sent both of us something beautiful and it was so appreciated.  Truly an unexpected gift from the heart! 

She explained that since she'd had her nails done for Christmas, she was having a hard time creating her ornaments.  So, she'd given up her plan to make the ornaments and decided to BUY me some instead, but after searching long and hard, she didn't find anything she liked. 

Lisa wrote, "Nothing good enough to send to a special friend in need of some cheering up this holiday season.  In the end, I hauled out my "craft box," sat down, determined to make something from the heart, and to heck with the stupid nails.  These are what I came up with...I hope you like them."

Like them?  I love them!  Wouldn't you?   My photo does not do them justice, but I think you can see the incredible detail in those hand-beaded beauties!

To think that she spent that time creating something so beautiful for me really touches my heart.  They were lovingly packed in gorgeous Christmas boxes, sent with a "Packing List" that was actually her holiday letter to us. 

Also, she sent Abbie a lovely, hand carved Santa in a sleigh that she found in a shop. Ab found it incredible that someone who didn't even know her would send her a special gift at Christmas. 

That's truly what Christmas is all about! 

Thanks again my dear friend!  God Bless!

 

For some reason this year, I didn’t quite have the level of holiday sadness that normally affects me. That ol’ pity-party feeling-because-I-am-usually-thoroughly-overwhelmed, extremely-over-tired, over-doing-it-and-so-sure-that-I-am-unappreciated-since-if-it-wasn’t-for-me- NO-ONE,-I-MEAN-not-one-single-soul-around-here-would-ever-have-a-Christmas…BLUES! You know, the standard, Woe is me, I am woman stuff!

This year, with Papa gone, it was entirely left up to me, so I couldn’t express my annual dissatisfaction that I had to do it all! Again.

Perhaps it was the focus I had on ensuring that Ab had the best Christmas ever, and seeing it come to be that kept me filled with the proper spirit.

Maybe it was the delight I took in making greeting cards out of my photographs and giving a package of them as Christmas gifts to people who really appreciated my creativity. One recipient kindly said, "I see some Ansel Adams going on here!"

Certainly shopping for little Riley; like she was my grand-baby, instead of my niece, added to the enjoyment. And, getting special charms and bracelets for my sisters-in-law, daughters and one to match for Riley! Now that was fun!

Or, the suspense and wonder when I was trying to figure out the "very special" gift that my children were planning for me this year. "Something that" Tam said, "Papa would get for you if he were here!" as she asked me to kick in a little of Papa’s money to help them with the purchase. I wracked my brain trying to figure that one out, since they say I have "everything!"

One of their clues caused me to think it was one of those stupid little round robot vacuums that returns to where it lives when it’s finished. Thankfully it wasn’t, because I would have had to hurt their feelings and return it. Because as handy as it might be, I’d probably trip over it!

Instead, I will be videotaping our family fun in the new year with my hand held video camera! Starting with the family trying out Ab’s new karaoke machine! I may even try belting out my version of Jail House Rock!

 

Thank you. Thank you very much!

 

No videotaping please!

Anything you sing may be used against you………

More from Mortaritaville

This is a photo that I took last night at Trish's where we had a big family Christmas dinner, minus our FlyBoy who spent his "holiday" in Iraq.  I chose this scene for this entry because of the Americana/mail theme, and especially the I WANT YOU...Uncle Sam poster on the front of the building.  

Steve has an amazing TrueValue/Ace Hardware Christmas Village that he lovingly puts in place each year, and it takes him about 2 days to complete.  It spans the entire living room and dining room, covering every flat space and even under a table in the foyer of their beautiful home.   Then, by the time New Year's Day arrives, he painstakingly puts each piece back in it's original box, marked with the date of purchase.  I am awed by his patience!

Thankfully, FlyBoy called us on Christmas day!  He said he was given the choice of flying or going for the holiday run around the base, and of course he'd chosen to fly.  But, instead they had a wet, muddy holiday which prevented him from flying due to the low cloud ceiling.  He said the rain doesn't really penetrate the sand and creates a terrible, muddy mess. 

In the Army tradition, the troops at his camp were served a huge Christmas dinner by their commanders.  Dinner included all the expected holiday main courses, plus steak and LOBSTER tails! He said it was an excellent meal!  I am grateful that the military will go to the expense of feeding the soldiers so well, all considered.

"Hawk Eye" is the new nickname that my son has been bestowed by his fellow pilots.  I guess because of his excellent eyesight and former military police observation skills, he's developed a real gift for following his gut instinct and checking out things that appear out of the ordinary.  As a result he's recently found IEDs (explosive devices) and other freshly dug bomb sites in fields, etc.  The ground troops are then called in to blow them up so the military convoys are not hit!   The most recent IED he found was again stuffed inside a dead dog along the highway, that appeared to have a leash on it.  FlyBoy said he got to thinking that the Iraqis never walk dogs with a leash.  So he went back to check it out and discovered the "leash" was really a cable for a bomb. 

Good going Soldier!

Peace on Earth........

Update from Mortaritaville and the Homefront

I jumped when the telephone rang last night at 10:30 p.m., fearing the worst as one does with those late night calls. Noticing the Caller ID showed Maryland, I wondered who’d be calling from there at that hour. Then it dawned on me that it was probably FlyBoy, as his calls from Iraq are routed through the Eastern states.

Excitedly, I answered and heard my sweet son’s voice. "What are you doin’?" I asked. He told me that he was about to fly but on the way to the airfield, the base began getting mortared! Since he was waiting for the "all clear" before heading out toward his helicopter, he decided to call his Mom! Is that guy special or what? I can’t believe that he had the presence of mind to think of someone else at the very moment his life was in danger! I was freakin’ out at the thought that his base was under attack at that very moment and told him so! He said, "Mom, it happens all the time!" Swell, like that’s gonna help me sleep tonight.

Damn this war!

He sounded somewhat depressed and I commented on it. (Like who wouldn’t be depressed to be in that kind of situation) FlyBoy was missing his new bride and a little upset because he was having difficulty getting in touch with his Fall Girl due to their schedules and the time difference. We chatted and I told him about the package I was sending, and the children from Mrs. Walker’s class that "adopted" him, who were preparing letters to send to him this week.

When he began talking about his military missions, he began to sound like his old self; animated and assured. He said he’s flown about 50 hours so far, averaging about 5 hours a day, or night…in most cases. Then he told me a story about a copter that cut some power lines and went down right in front of him the other night. He said he was the 3rd helicopter behind them and they were flying without lights and it’s pitch black despite their night vision equipment. The guys in that crash were very lucky to have survived without serious injury, FlyBoy said. As a result of that crash, some good has come from it, as the policy has changed to where they are now flying just 200 ft above the ground so they’ll miss power lines. (At least I think that’s what he said…or was it 400 feet above?)

He said he’d seen his first human casualty… a member of the Iraqi National Guard who’d been murdered by insurgents and left alone in the desert. I wondered about the Iraqi’s loved ones and if they’d ever know what happened to that man who gave his life for his country and the fact that they’d never know how it affected my young FlyBoy.

Or me.

Damn this war.

YUK!  Gag!  I just had to throw away my brother's nasty, half-full spit cup that he left on top of my dryer!  At least it had a lid on it!  How do they stand that chew?  Blech!

The boys and their families came up the mountain today to help me sort through Papa's boxes of paperwork and his personal belongings.  We made a lot of progress, shredding papers-some dating back into the 60s, throwing out a variety of outdated software and computer accessories, bagging up some clothing for charity, and tossing out some stuff in the trash. 

Between Papa and my mother, I know where I got my pack-rat mentality.  It was amazing what he kept and as I offered up that comment, I had to admit that he was probably looking down from above saying....Well, missy, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black!  

Of course we kept a huge box full of what I call everything sentimental...family photos, his college papers, certificates and membership cards, performance evaluations, genealogy research, wedding announcements and greeting cards from us kids, etc.

Justin came upon a piece of red scratch paper with Papa's very distinct handwriting, that brought me to tears.  I don't know if he wrote it, but apparently he liked the quote well enough to save it and I will cherish it from now on. 

If I had to describe Papa in one paragraph, this is what it would be..........

Let everything you do be your religion and everything you say be your prayer. 

It was my father, through and through.    

Mortaritaville

FlyBoy made it safely to Anaconda, his new base in Bahlad, (pronounced Buh-lawd) Iraq. Anaconda, affectionately known as "Mortaritaville" is the largest support base in the country.

According to an article in the Seattle Times, Anaconda, north of Baghdad (not shown on map), is reportedly nicknamed Mortaritaville because of the frequency of mortar/rocket attacks on the base. As of mid-October 2004, the article reported, the facility is home to roughly 22,500 US troops and an additional 2,500 contractors, had been on the receiving end of roughly two attacks daily since July.

FlyBoy experienced this for the first time yesterday, when they were hit several times causing the air raid siren to blare for about 5 minutes. Apparently the mortars have a very distinct sound when they fly by and then hit with a "thud" and the first one he heard definitely got his attention! At the time of his call he did not know if there were any injuries or casualties as a result of that attack which happened shortly before he called me at work. As we were talking about the base being attacked, the telephone went dead and I began to PANIC. Fortunately, he called back to let me know everything was fine and he had accidentally unplugged the telephone line from the handset!

He told me that he has flown two missions so far. One night they flew without any lights to avoid being hit in flight. Besides the weaponry, he said wires and poles are a significant concern when they are not using lights.

He said that it was the first time that he really got scared, realizing that there were people there planning to shoot them out of the sky! I told him that kind of fear is healthy and what will keep him alive! Especially since that kind of flying is a lot different than his war games training in the States!

During one fight recently, he said they spotted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that the insurgents had stuffed inside a dead dog and left along the roadway. Ewww. He said that it’s not uncommon for them to violate human bodies that way as well. Yuk.

I asked FlyBoy what I could send him in a package and he said, "Don’t send any soap or all that other stuff they say we need! We’ve got tons of that!" He said that the kids love the soldiers because they fill up ziplock bags with various overstocked items and drop it down to them out of the helicopters! He mentioned that one guy received a nice Hickory Farms package that they’d all enjoyed for dinner the night before and that he’d like something like that, or beef jerky.

So, I am off to go shopping to fix that young man up with whatever he wants!

Be SAFE FlyBoy!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Trish's husband Steve, must feel like he's got two wives.  Poor guy!  Bless his heart, he's really so good to me and Ab. 

They shared with me that when Papa was on his deathbed, and I wasn't in the room, he asked Trish and Steve if I was going to be okay.  It brought tears to their eyes and they promised they'd take care of me, saying I'd be fine!  I swear they really are trying to live up to that promise!  I am so blessed to have such good friends in  my life. 

After Steve worked his fanny off all day helping a friend move, he came over this evening and hung some Christmas lights on our house.  He then called me while I was on my way home from work and told me to meet him at KMart, to pick out a tree so he could take it home for me, drag it in the house and put it in the stand!  What a man!  I always tell Trish that she doesn't know how lucky she is to have a guy like that!

Ab decorated the tree while the kittens terrorized her and the poor tree.  I think we may have to redecorate it daily. 

They took down one ornament for each one she put in place.  Oh, and the beaded silver snowflake garland was pretty entertaining too.  The little devils!  Ab threw up her hands in despair and decided to go to bed.  The kittens have stopped temporarily to grab a nap after all that exhausting fun. 

I shudder at the thought of what the tree will look like when I get up in the morning.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday. 

 

Snowflakes and Shivers

 

This photo is of the projected snowflakes on the ground at Knott's Berry Farm, that I snapped last night.  They were so pretty!  Even though there was no real snow on the ground, it was super cold down there and I was chilled to the bone all day.  I had forgotten how cold 50 degrees can be in an Orange County Winter.  After all, it's only about 10 miles from the beach!  It's a different cold than we experience up here in the mountains and I wore a light t-shirt and sweater, and didn't bring a jacket.  Brrrrrrr. 

It drizzled lightly for several hours and the gift shops were selling out of the bright yellow plastic rain slickers (with Snoopy and an umbrella on the back) that they had on hand for times like that!   We bought several.  Although, it still wasn't enough to keep me from freezing all day.  I thought about buying a sweatshirt, but really didn't find one that I was interested in spending 40 dollars or more for, so I toughed it out.  About 6 pm, I found a nice hooded jacket in the Snoopy gift shop. It was better than any ol' sweatshirt and for a little more money, I got something that I will wear often.  I just wish I'd found it earlier in the day.

The rain didn't damper the kids' enthusiasm for going on the rides, even those that would wet them some more!  Ab and John rode home with damp clothing, and I made them sit on the plastic rain gear so they wouldn't mar my leather car seats.  I had the heat in the car cranked way up and loved it, until I got so warm I couldn't breathe. 

As far as birthdays go, it was a pretty dreary one.  No cake, no ice cream, no presents, no birthday dinner.  ::pout::  Since we couldn't get in to any of Knotts' restaurants, we ended up grabbing cheeseburgers at In and Out on the way home. In and Out makes the BEST cheeseburgers, so I didn't feel too bad and I treated myself to a milkshake since I didn't have any birthday ice cream.  Tam and Ab will bake me a cake tomorrow. 

Oh, and we did have a little excitement with our caravan on the way down there.  I am really greatful that I didn't get much damage to my car when I rear-ended Trish's nephew's big ol' truck on the LA freeway!  Dang those people coming to a screeching halt like that!  And me with a cast....geez.  I am also really greatful that Trish's relatives think of me as family...they won't sue me for whiplash!