MilitaryAvenue.com - Our Letters to YouMilitaryAvenue.com - Our Letters to YouWelcome to MilitaryAvenue.com's Blog. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy our unique perspective on the military lifestyle. Articles
Your Community Cares
2008-02-20 16:20:00 Lately I have been just baffled (for lack of a stronger word) by the community of Berkeley. I'm sure everyone has seen the press they have received and the treatment that the Marines in the area have received. It just makes me sick!But I am so very thankful that they are an anomaly. Why do the people of Berkeley & their government get so much press-time over this? Because, thankfully, there are so few other communities that would stoop to a level lower then dirt.How do we know so many communities truly care? Everyday we get businesses wanting to be a part of MilitaryAvenue.com. We screen all of the businesses that want to post their ad & military discount on MilitaryAvenue.com. We read each one and decide is this just a marketing ploy or is this really something our military families can use? Many get disapproved, followed by a friendly email that says in not so many words, "Thanks, but No Thanks". Many get approved, every day! Your community cares. They want to say "Thank ... More About: Community , Support
Your Community Cares
2008-02-20 16:20:00 Lately I have been just baffled (for lack of a stronger word) by the community of Berkeley. I'm sure everyone has seen the press they have received and the treatment that the Marines in the area have received. It just makes me sick!But I am so very thankful that they are an anomaly. Why do the people of Berkeley & their government get so much press-time over this? Because, thankfully, there are so few other communities that would stoop to a level lower then dirt.How do we know so many communities truly care? Everyday we get businesses wanting to be a part of MilitaryAvenue.com. We screen all of the businesses that want to post their ad & military discount on MilitaryAvenue.com. We read each one and decide is this just a marketing ploy or is this really something our military families can use? Many get disapproved, followed by a friendly email that says in not so many words, "Thanks, but No Thanks". Many get approved, every day! Your community cares. They want to say "Thank ... More About: Community
Got worms?
2008-02-19 16:43:00 Got worms? YUCK! I like them in the garden? but not in the computer. I was at my neighbor?s house when she used an online virus detector to see if her ?sort of safe? computer was living up to speed. Now, calling it sort of safe made me wonder right there? She googled ?free online virus detector? and choose www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner. As it ran through her drives and files, horror crossed her face? there it was, virus after virus with corrupted files. Now what? This site offered a sure fire fixer upper? but Rose decided it was too late for that. She used the site just to see if there was a problem, and oh my! There was!Do you pitch the pc with years of photos, letters, and tax documents? More landfill with worms! NO. Review the items that are necessary for sanity, put them in My Documents, rescan to be certain they will not be preserved. Copy only My Documents to an external drive. Dump EVERYTHING from the computer? rather like flushing it clean. Then use the re... More About: Worms
Got worms?
2008-02-19 16:43:00 Got worms? YUCK! I like them in the garden… but not in the computer. I was at my neighbor’s house when she used an online virus detector to see if her ‘sort of safe’ computer was living up to speed. Now, calling it sort of safe made me wonder right there… She googled “free online virus detector” and choose www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner. As it ran through her drives and files, horror crossed her face… there it was, virus after virus with corrupted files. Now what? This site offered a sure fire fixer upper… but Rose decided it was too late for that. She used the site just to see if there was a problem, and oh my! There was!Do you pitch the pc with years of photos, letters, and tax documents? More landfill with worms! NO. Review the items that are necessary for sanity, put them in My Documents, rescan to be certain they will not be preserved. Copy only My Documents to an external drive. Dump EVERYTHING from the computer… rather like flushing it cle... More About: Worms
Why I Love Clouds
2008-02-18 20:47:00 Why do clouds captivate our attention? Their movement and changes have always been fun for me to watch and especially when as a young person I would lazily lay on my back on a summer afternoon as the billows of a cumulonimbus grew in height and width. What power and grace.But as an adult I still feel in awe of them and the powerful birds that circle in them and ride their waves higher and higher.I remember the first time I joined the birds and the pleasure I got from seeing the clouds from the perspective of being a pilot. I felt such joy and close to God in a way that I am not sure I can duplicate now. Of course, the clouds weren't always my friends as they could make flying a bit hazardous and challenging.I wish I still took the time to relax and cloud watch as I did as a young person! Maybe I will have to show the grandsons how to lay on their back with a bit of tall grass to chew on and describe what they see to me? Every adult needs a reason to do something crazy like g... More About: Love , Clouds
Why I Love Clouds
2008-02-18 20:47:00 Why do clouds captivate our attention? Their movement and changes have always been fun for me to watch and especially when as a young person I would lazily lay on my back on a summer afternoon as the billows of a cumulonimbus grew in height and width. What power and grace.But as an adult I still feel in awe of them and the powerful birds that circle in them and ride their waves higher and higher.I remember the first time I joined the birds and the pleasure I got from seeing the clouds from the perspective of being a pilot. I felt such joy and close to God in a way that I am not sure I can duplicate now. Of course, the clouds weren't always my friends as they could make flying a bit hazardous and challenging.I wish I still took the time to relax and cloud watch as I did as a young person! Maybe I will have to show the grandsons how to lay on their back with a bit of tall grass to chew on and describe what they see to me? Every adult needs a reason to do something crazy like g... More About: Love , Clouds
When I return from a deployment or long TDY
2008-02-15 17:10:00 The title of this blog could be: My respect for the military spouse! I faced many long TDYs, lengthy separations and one deployment as a unit during my 30 years on active duty so I thought maybe I could share my personal feelings about coming home! In one case I had been assigned to an overseas base that was supposed to be a sponsored tour with my family but there was no housing available for 6 months. I had been TDY for 4 months prior to moving overseas while doing some training. So when my family joined me it had been almost a ten month separation. Over the length of my career I was gone approximately 5 years! Try explaining that to a civilian as a job requirement! I know that my away time does not compare to most of you reading this. The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have service members deploying 3 times within 5 years!There is a different way to look at me being gone: my lovely bride took care of our kids (including the delivery of our middle child), the ca... More About: Return , Long , Deployment
Share your experiences with other members of the military community!
2008-02-14 16:53:00 Ever have one of those days where you just thought, "Wow, I would really like to let others know about what just happened. Maybe they can learn from what I did right ... or wrong. Maybe I can get some help. But, if I share it with family or friends back home they just wouldn't understand."We have an audience, new friends, awaiting your thoughts!Here are some ideas to get you thinking:A recent commissary experience;Some ideas for a Family Readiness Meeting; Ways you help your kids get acclimated to a new area; How do you decorate base housing; "A day in the life"; Favorite family vacation.These are just a few ideas!!! There are no hard and fast rules! Send your two to three paragraphs to leanne@militaryavenue.com. We'll post 'experiences' on our blog at http://militaryavenue.blogspot.com/. Others can learn from you and you can enjoy others thoughts, muses and writings too!Visit us at Military Avenue.com More About: Community , Experiences , Share , Members
Humility certainly has a price tag!
2008-02-13 20:48:00 I'm a guest writer on this amazing blog. I am excited to be a part of it!I gave up make up for lent. For some of the natural beauties in the world (or men), this would not be a big deal. It is for me! My long history with make up has been one of necessity beginning in high school. Every day I do (did) my routine of eye liner, shadow, mascara, foundation, and lipstick. It makes me feel together and externally beautiful, so lacking this is definitely a lesson in vulnerability and humility.I know I look different. One of my teacher co-workers said, "Oh, you still look beautiful!" However, I can see myself in the mirror... Several of my students told me yesterday, my first day of work with my new look, "Mrs. K, you look different." They then proceeded to stare at me for several minutes, puzzled.As I have walked through my daily life "au natural," it makes me self conscious. I realize how much I judge others on their looks as I now feel exposed in mine.How much do you depend on your loo... More About: Price , Humility
What goes around ... comes around
2008-02-11 19:43:00 A friend of mine and her family has been sick - for two weeks. She has three young ones between the ages of three months and five years and her husband is on a submarine in the great Atlantic. The kids keep passing the same bug back and forth & she has managed to catch it a time or two.I had this nasty bug back around Christmas at my folk's house and it was no fun! I was visiting my mom and dad, my husband was there ... if there was a place to be sick that was it!Now imagine (and some of you don't have to imagine too hard - you've done it!) holding your child's hand while they lean over the toilet and well... puke their brains out, yet in the middle of all that you have to ask him to watch out as you lean over and do the same.NO FUN!I got an email from her Sunday afternoon:"Pray for us. We are all still so sick."That was the whole sum of the email. So I stepped up the plate & not only prayed but brought over dinner Monday. Talk about a simple way to make someone's day. ...
A Winter Scene and the Weather in our Adventures
2008-02-11 01:02:00 Or stories from a weather channel junkieRight now I am looking out the front sliding doors at beautiful trees covered with snow; cardinals, junkos, finches and blue jays quickly eating on the bird feeders; and wind whipping everything. It is a wonderful white scene but step outside those doors and it is awakening with a temperature of 0 degrees and a wind chill of -25! I sure appreciate the warmth and comfort of our house on a day like this one.I plowed the driveway with my small John Deere for a third time in 48 hours (the banks on the side are now higher than my plow) and shoveled the deck and steps too! Quite a job but I enjoy the exercise and getting outside is ok as long as I have on the right clothes. We lived in many areas with less severe winters and one known for its frequent storms. We also have been in hurricane and tornado prone areas. I remember one Lubbock, TX storm that left hail stacked more than a foot high against our house and it was 80 degrees out! It didn’t me... More About: Weather , Winter , Scene , Adventures
Favorite Assignment
2008-02-07 21:13:00 What is the first question I hear from folks when they hear that we were an Air Force family and lived in 18 places? First, after the look of either admiration or horror is the inevitable “What was your favorite assignment/location?” How do we answer that one? After all we had assignments in Iceland and Panama and many “unfavorable locales” in some peoples’ eyes. I usually start out with “each was special in its own way” and provided opportunities for all of us. Some accept that; but others press a bit harder. That is when I say, well “maybe Iceland” due to the opportunity to visit Europe, teenage kids attending a Maranatha mission trip to Spain at Spring Break through the chapel, junior high son admiring “Mona Lisa” at the Louvre in Paris, Model United Nations in Den Hague, Netherlands for the high school’ers. Or how about the experience the guys had on a “Space A” ride back in a KC-135 tanker of being right next to the “boom” operator as... More About: Favorite
OPSEC
2008-02-07 16:07:00 It was 4:30am when the alarm went off last Saturday; WAY TOO early for this night-owl. But as I plopped my legs off the side of the bed, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and started to wake up I began to get feel a little excited about what my day had in store.Paul and I were traveling to our "Family Mobilization Brief" four hours away. I was craving information. It was unavoidable that he was leaving. I had accepted that fact & was ready to find out what support services were going to be there for our family and a little bit more what was in store for him.The meeting was in a middle-school & was very nicely set-up. When we arrived Paul got his picture taken for Operation Pillowase; I picked up information on ConnectAndJoin.com, Flat Daddy and so much more. Oh and was I ever so excited to see a whole table of donuts & coffee!We sat down in the auditorium armed with brochures, stuff for the kids, magnets, calendars,... talk about information overload! Over the course of o...
Election Time
2008-02-05 20:54:00 Today is Super Tuesday, Mardi Gras, and the ticker tape parade for the Giants in NYC. It is a dream world for the news agencies. The whole country is active and is hitting the streets!The Giants parade will have fanatic fans out in force. Their team came from behind and did it... They won! Those few seconds at the end of the game changed the outcome of the season. The crowd at the stadium paid premium price to be there and be part of the action. They got to sound their approval of plays, calls and penalties. They were neatly squeezed together in a small space to cheer and encourage their team. Most did not need it, but there was a playbook: a list of the players with their numbers, a great souvenir. The Patriots had their first loss even though they were ahead most of the game. That doesn't count in the end. The team wins, or loses. Therefore the news is about the New York Giants, with what was the ultimate celebration: a ticker tape parade down the streets of one of the world's m... More About: Time , Election
That First Assignment
2008-02-05 20:25:00 Doesn’t everyone want a clear view of Area 51? J You want New Jersey? Zoom – how about Nevada?Our first assignment after pilot training was an exciting one that demonstrated that the government, in my case, the US Air Force knows best! ;) We had orders for Andrews AFB in Maryland and being a Midwest guy who had recently married an East Coast gal we were quite excited to get there and settle in for at least four years. We had delayed our wedding till Deb had finished her French degree. She would be able to use it in the multi culture area surrounding DC! I was a political science guy too! We were set!Imagine my surprise, when the commander called me in two weeks before our departure date to say, Lieutenant your orders have been changed. The next words created near shock as he said your new orders will say “Indian Springs, Nevada”! Wow, a plush DC area assignment to someplace I had to look at a map to find! When I did find it, the heart attack was the next medical condition to...
Guys and St. Valentine's Day
2008-01-31 20:37:00 Okay I am way ahead of schedule! Should be putting this out on the 13th or 14th if I was acting "normal"! When it comes to gender and St Valentines the guys are frequently accused of minimum effort or not planning for what some gals consider a very important holiday! While I will not try to defend my guy friends for their actions or lack of action I will say that I did learn over time (i.e. trainable) and have some suggestions for what can be a wonderful celebration of our romance.First, the deployed spouses are at the top of our list and thank you. For the spouse/guypal/galpal at home you too serve so thank you! For those who have deployed Valentines, please send us ways that you deal with this holiday. I think being out with friends and family would be the best way to celebrate and sharing plans for a future celebration with that loved one would be a super way to help heal the wound of absence.I have shared many wonderful Valentines with my spouse (about 38 of them actually) and h... More About: Guys
Super bowl party!
2008-01-30 16:49:00 What if you aren’t the world’s greatest fan of football? What if you like to get together with friends? What if you need an excuse to eat some salty, sweet or gadzooks of finger food? Here is the answer to “what if”: Super Sunday coming our way! Super bowl Sunday is so well named. Grab all of those neat bowls that are sitting on the shelves – forget the plastic, go for the decorative fun things you bought as a souvenir at your last PSC. Now, find foods that fit the bowls! Beanless Chili is my favorite main attraction. I add baking potatoes diced into bean sized pieces. These add some starch to the pot, and take on the flavor of the chili. Start this early in the day, and let it simmer. Remember, there are going to be side dishes and treats, so they probably won’t be coming back for seconds. But then again, it is so good… Beanless Chili con Carne for a crowd 1 T olive oil1 medium onion diced2 lb ground beef1 lb ground pork2 large... More About: Party , Super Bowl , Bowl
The Beauty of Routine
2007-09-11 03:37:00 Oh How I love Fall! There is a chill in the air, the leaves are starting to change and school is back in session! I dropped my 4-year old off at preschool for his first day last week. Oh how we were both so excited. Not because I was glad to say good-bye but because I was, and remain, ready for some routine! The boys know what is expected of their day and its no longer my time-line that More About: Beauty
Getting Involved
2007-08-14 19:54:00 I will never forget sitting in my bedroom, lights out, my face pressed up against the glass with my mom right beside me. It was Youth Group night at the house across the street from us. We had been at Keflavik NAS, Iceland for maybe one month and I was struggling to find new friends, no easy task for an introverted tenth grader. My mom had told me I needed to find an activity to get involved in
How do you keep in touch?
2007-04-11 14:37:00 I’m a huge fan of flickr.com. With two young sons and a teenager in our house life is constantly on the move. Their doting grandparents are hundreds of miles away. Their fun-loving aunts and uncles are no where close to us. Then there are my friends spread out all over the world from my military-brat days who love to keep in touch. So I take pictures as often as I can think of it; upload them on More About: Touch
What did we do before the slow-cooker?
2007-03-21 18:59:00 This afternoon while I put together lunch for my toddler & preschooler I started “cooking” dinner, meaning throwing together food in the slow cooker. Tonight it is lasagna. So now I can go through the rest of my afternoon not having to give dinner a second thought. You have no idea what peace of mind that brings me! In fact, I can’t imagine that I will have a bad afternoon having that off of More About: What , Hat , Cook , Slow , Fore
Kudos
2007-03-13 03:03:00 Have you visited a business lately that just made you feel good? One of the hardest parts about PCSing is getting acquainted with the new area and everything that it has to offer. That is something that MilitaryAvenue.com aims to help with. If you get to know your community you will feel settled before orders come again. Here is a great opportunity to give a ‘shout out’ for a local-business that More About: Kudos
Making Something Old New Again...
2007-03-11 01:06:00 Today I inherited my in-law’s living room furniture, specifically a sofa and love seat. I was very excited at the possibilities that lie ahead of me. First thing I did was trek off to Target to purchase some slip-covers. I was going to have brand spanking new furniture this way! Why would I invest in brand new furniture when I can put slip-covers on them for pennies on the dollar? I found the More About: Methi , Again , King , Something , Thing
Got Junk?
2007-03-08 18:57:00 Recently my mother-in-law brought over a box of things from my husband's closet; his child-hood closet; the closet in the bedroom that he lived in for 20+ years; the bedroom that still has posters up in it from his late teens. Apparently, she's trying to clean it out a little and thought we would like items that he hasn't used in about 10 years (and quite frankly didn't even remember he had). I More About: Junk
It's Snowing... Again...
2007-03-07 19:13:00 I LOVE the snow any time between November and January. My boys and I can be out there for hours sledding, making snow-angels and -men, and just having a great time. But come February it starts to get really old. Well, it's March 7 and we got 2 inches of snow this morning on top of what we got yesterday. My husband came home after a long day at work and the first words out of my mouth were: " More About: Snow , Again , Wing
Sending out a lifeline
2007-03-06 18:01:00 “Help!” Those can be hard words to say, but we all need it at one time or another. I was at a recent MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) meeting and a panel of seasoned-mothers answered our questions and gave us tips in handling day-to-day challenges, some were simple: “How do you help your four year old learn to blow his nose?” and some much more challenging, “How do you handle your emotions, sad More About: Life , Ending , Send , Line , Sending
A quick 6 hour drive
More articles from this author:2007-03-06 04:42:00 I had the pleasure of visiting my parents this weekend with my three sons. It was a ‘quick six hour drive’ but well worth the time to spend with my family. My brothers, their wives and my nephew all drove in and we had a wonderful weekend. They all live in the same area – within 45 minutes of each other and when I come out they always make a special point to visit. How blessed I am. I remember More About: Drive , Quick , Hour 1, 2, 3, 4 |
|
 |
|
 |
