Pride and Joy, Pain and Sorrow

As I sit here trying to find the words for this blog today my heart is heavy and I am in pain. The recent loss of my brother weighs heavy on my heart. We were not as close as I would have like to have been. But, such is the life of families. Words cannot express my sorrow at his loss. Now I must write of another pain. The pain of a mother's heart when her son leaves for deployment. This pain is fresh and open and searing. He has gone to do his "JOB" as he calls it. I call it a "LIVING HELL" As any mother of a Marine, I stood tall and proud and watched half of my heart board a bus to "GOD KNOWS WHERE" to defend our home. If you have done this for a son, daughter, husband, wife, father, mother, sister , brother, or friend then you know. We will stand tall and pray for word that they are OK again today. Words on the computer, and their voice in our ear when they get a chance to call. So for all the military families, I salute you and your loved ones who make it possible to lay our heads down at night and know that we are safe, and free.I LOVE YOU RONNIE !!!!

Will You Give This To My Daddy?

Will You give this to my Daddy? Current mood: blessed
Will You give this to my Daddy?
As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support 'Red Fridays.' Last week I was in Atlanta , Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed One of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and Cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red-blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our Service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said 'hi.' The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek. The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.' He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.' The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek. We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.

Short Note

I promise. LOL Just wanted everyone to know that I got results back on my blood work yesterday. My doctor is very pleased with me on all counts. He ordered a set of x-rays on my spine and a Doppler on the arteries in my neck, but I have not heard the results as of yet. I will keep you posted. Bella and Babycakes are doing well. Bella is in the window crying right now because the kids across the street won't play with her. Poor baby.

Marine Mom Creed

Marine Mom Creed

This is my Marine Son (or Daughter), there are many like him, but this one is mine.My son is my best friend and he is my life.My son could never be useless.Without him, I am not useless either, just lonely. I must keep my son safe.I must pray harder than the mother of the enemy who is trying to kill him.I pray that they shoot at each other and they both miss.My son and myself and other MMO moms know that what countsin this war is not the rounds that are fired, the noise of their burst or the smoke they make.We know it is coming home in one piece that counts. They will come home.My son is human, even as I, because he is my life.Therefore I know him like myself.I know his strengths, his weaknesses, his thoughts, his hopes and his dreams.I will do my best to everguard him against the ravages of war.I was there for him before this war and I will be there when it is over. I will.Before God I swear this creed.My son is a defender of our country, a master of the enemy and the center of my life.So be it, until his five long years with the great Corp are over and there are no more deployments, just peace in our hearts.

The New Adventures of Babycakes

Sorry that the last entry was so long and winded. I think I forgot I wasn't writing a real letter. LOL So, we get Babycakes here and all is well. He came out of his cage very calmly, ran under my bed and slept for 2 hours. I guess he felt safe under there. Upon waking he promply ate and then started crying to go out. Does anyone know how to train an outside cat to a litter box? Well I didn't eather. I showed it to him, moved the litter around for him, and told him it was for him. He smelled it, turned around and just meowed at me. He really got frantic and kept scratching at the door, so I finally had to let him out. I knew he was gone for sure. I didn't see him that night or the next morning. I cried a little, and worried a lot. I watched for him all day and thought I saw him farther down the street. That night Bellla set up and alarm at the front door. I opened it after checking to see who it was. There was noone there. When I opened the door there he was, Babycakes, in all his glory. I got him to come in and eat, but after eating he wanted to go out again. To make a long story short, (I know, too late) he comes home every night to eat, spends the night on my deck and he is there in the morning till I feed him. After eating, he is gone to seek new adventures.

A New Home of All

Well we have finally finished moving and I have my trusty old computer back on line. The space bar seems to have gotten banged or something, because it sticks now. But, I digress. Bella and I are in our new home and Babycakes is finally here. It took me about three tries to catch him at the old house. The first morning I went back and he was meowing (cuss words I am sure from the sounds of it) at me before I even got all of the way out of the car. I had made this trip without Bella, in hopes that he would not put up to much of a fight going into the carrier I took with me. I thought the ride home would be easier minus Bella bouncing all over the car, trying to play with Babycakes in the carrier. Needless to say, it was a very unsuccessful trip. I left him food on the deck in hopes he would sty close till I could come back again. The next day I tried again, NO SUCCESS. More food was left and I went home defeated. Around 11Am that same day Bella was bouncing off the walls at the new place. I decided to take her for a ride to maybe calm her down. As we got in the car to leave, something just told me to go back and try again. So, with Bella in tow away I go. When we reached the old house and walked into the backyard I spotted Babycakes lounging on the deck in all his glory. The surprise is, is that he usually isn't there at that time of day. I let Bella off her leash and started putting food out for him in his "old" spot in his "old" bowl that I had in the car. He jumped up on the rail and started to eat. As he was eating i returned to the car and got the carrier. As I rounded the deck and he spotted it he started to run again. I quickly sat it down and started speaking "babytalk" to him. He let me touch him, pet him and I picked him up. Most cats when they are about to be stuffed into a carrier will splay all four legs and hiss and bite. Not him, he very calmly let me lower him into the carrier. the ride home was very uneventful and Bella even stayed calm all the way home.

BABYCAKES Pt. 4

BABYCAKES---The Outside Cat
As some of you know, we had a cat show up at our house back in the summer. It was after a big rain storm. He was huddled under our deck crying bloody murder. We couldn't get him to come out, so we lifted the access door to the deck. He still wouldn't come out. We imagined we heard kittens, thinking he was a "she" that had had kittens under the house so we fed him. Needless to say when my daughter got a look at "her" she said, "Mom, that is a male cat!" and I said "Are you sure?" She laughed and said, "yea, I see the proof as big as day." Well after a good laugh at our self we went on our merry way. We tried not feeding him for a couple of days thinking he would go home. He was a very well groomed cat, had a healthy coat, and loved our dogs. He wouldn't let anyone touch him. He would lay on the deck, play with the dogs, and finally let me start to pet him as he wound himself around my chair. Since it has turned cold we have tried to get him into the house for warmth. NO GO. Last night is was reported that we were in for 17 degree weather, but he still would not enter the house, so I picked him up and sat him just inside the door. I figured at least he could stay warm by the door where he was relaxed. After he got a little calmer I picked him up and placed him on an old towel in the living room floor. Susi, our resident mommy dog, lay right down and started cleaning him. Babycakes just lay there and let her do anything she wanted to. He is still there in the same spot this morning. He meowed at me when I walked through the living room, but didn't bother to move from his spot. So I guess he is happy to be out of the cold.

Farewell to My Friend

It is with a sad and broken heart that I write today. My friend Ruth has passed away. Her passing has left a great hole in our hearts that cannot be filled. As some of you know, she was also my children's step-mother. Since day one, we have always been civil to each other, with no malice in our hearts. Sometimes life hands you lemons. It is your choice what you do with them. She accepted my children into her life, if not exactly as one of her own, so close no one would notice. She will hold a special place in my heart forever.

Because of distance we did not become friends until I moved here. She was still working then, so we didn't get to see each other a lot. But when we did, it was just like we had been friends forever. We had made plans to sit on the porch of the "Old Folks Home" and make fun of everybody and to have wheelchair races in the halls. Now I guess I will have to it for both of us. Boy, will I be a bitch. LOL She would laugh at that. I can see her in heaven now shaking her head and saying "You go girl !" I never took the chance to let her know how much I thought of her because I thought I had plenty of time. I was wrong. So grab your best friend, or your loved one today and give them a big hug. Tell them it's from me and Ruth.