Military-Family Blog from MilitaryAvenue.com

Have you Heard about Blue Star Museums?

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Blue Star Museums Kicks Off on Memorial Day!

What does that mean to you, a member of the military community? If you are an active duty, National Guard or Reserve member or family member, you have access to more than 1,600 museums this summer for free! Right, we agree, what a great program. This is the third year for this program and it started with 900 museums and is growing each year as the Arts open their doors wide open to the military community.

FREE entertainment for your family on a crazy summer schedule! Maybe you just PCS'd into a new area and need something for the family to do. Hot outside, humidity is causing a major sweat and you need some place cool! Remember, art museums have to be environmentally controlled to protect the art! Find your new location right on their map for the closest museum.

Mr. Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, explained to the DoD Blogger Roundtable that they wanted to say thank you to service members and that engaging the younger audience will increase participation in art programs in the future. Landesman said that the program has been received enthusiastically by both museums and the military families. Over 300,000 military members and families participated last year. Their website at Blue Star Museums includes a video from earlier participants. It also includes specific criteria such as number of family members that can enter for free (up to five) and other FAQs. The site has a very handy map so you can locate the museum closest to you that is participating.

All of the participating museums are doing this at their cost and please say thank you! Mr. Landesman was extremely supportive of the military community and “very proud of this program.” It is wonderful for the arts community and beneficial to the military community. We really enjoyed the art museums we visited while traveling the world as a military family and everyone seems to have gained an appreciation for a poster, piece of art or memory from these visits.

The military family team at MilitaryAvenue.com continues to find ways to support our military community and hope you can find time to visit one of these museums this summer! Find other Military Discounts and Resources on our Facebook page: Military Discounts Facebook.

Look for this logo for free admission this summer!

A big thank you to the Defense Media Activity for the preview to this media announcement! If you are interested in listening to an audio recording of this interview please go to DoDLive!

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Photo/Logo Credit: Blue Stars PR Toolkit

Fathers Day Messages and Care Package Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:46:00 +0000

Three Cheers for Dad!! Whether the Dad you adore is biological or adopted, active duty or a civilian, Stars and Stripes wants to help you pay tribute to him by posting a free message for Father’s Day (June 17). Visit fathersday.stripes.osd.mil to enter yours.

If your recipient is overseas and your message is received by May 29, it will be published in the Stars and Stripes newspaper of your choice (European, Pacific or Middle East edition). All messages will also be available online as soon as they are approved.

Please be sure to read The Fine Print, which explains our deadlines and other details.

Happy Father’s Day to all of our Dads, wherever they may be on June 17!

Here are some more Father's Day Posts if you are putting together a Care Package, thinking about the Dads in our lives, or just looking for resources available to the military-family:

Father's Day Care Package Ideas

Kids say the darndest things! It is the truth. I got some wonderfully done papers for Mother's Day from my first grader. My favorite line on one was, "What my mom likes best about being a mother is _____." His response was "Being the boss". Who knew being bossy was so much fun, right?! :) I would amend his answer to include giving hugs, kisses, sharing smiles and tickles, 'Rise and Shine' and 'Goodnight Moon' and every hour in between ... but I'm sure he just ran out of space ;)

Continue Reading

Father's Day from Afar

Father's Day is this Sunday - talk about creating a void for our family going through our first deployment. I'm sure the void will be felt all across the globe on the 15th.

I fortunately have stayed on top of this one (I'm not on top of much lately). Hubby's care-package is in the mail & he should be receiving it any day now. I hope it oozes with love! (As opposed to oozing with sticky-melted chocolate!)

Continue Reading

Fatherhood - I had the pleasure of reading a blog this morning on the DoD "Family Matters Blog". It left me inspired, thankful, even a little wistful. It reminds me of the fact that parenthood doesn't involve any sort of manual. Mothers, Fathers, we learned from our parents and we follow our heart. I will be the first to admit I have been blessed with some great men in my life; in particular, my dad and my husband. Continue Reading

Find more Care Package Ideas on our Pinterest Board: "Care Package Ideas"

Tell us, how will you make Father's Day Special this year? I'd love to learn more about the Dad's in your life!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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Recognizing another Vietnam Hero – Specialist Leslie Sabo earns Posthumous Medal of Honor

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:30:00 +0000

The Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded by the President of the United States to U.S. Army Specialist Leslie Sabo killed while saving the lives of his friends and fellow soldiers on May 10th, 1970. The Blogger Roundtable spoke with members of his company and platoon to discuss the events which led to Sabo receiving the Medal of Honor – 42 Years after he was killed. They talked about his heroics on that day after they were ambushed in eastern Cambodia. Accepting the award was Sabo's widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown. The Sabos had been married during his short leave from Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) and honeymooned during 30 days of leave before he left for Vietnam.

During comments at the ceremony President Obama said, veterans of the Vietnam era were not treated properly by Americans. Can I get an "Amen" from the crowd! A quick comparison for you: Can you imagine Jane Fonda simulating shooting an Iraqi anti aircraft gun at American planes during Iraqi Freedom and being cheered by most in Hollywood for it and never prosecuted for aiding and abetting the enemy? That is exactly what she did to Vietnam veterans and America followed the lead of many like her.

So it was not surprising that the members of Sabo’s unit found the process of pushing the Medal of Honor paperwork through the bureaucracy as healing. Alton “Tony” Mabb first found the paperwork in the national archives in 1999 and many friends and members of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division had spent the following 23 years pursuing the recognition.

Many Americans did not even know that we had placed our troops in Cambodia in 1970 to destroy the North Vietnamese logistics network known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail which came from North Vietnam through supposedly neutral Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam. Members of the platoon described the battle as different than the battles "in country" (South Vietnam) which were guerrilla like skirmishes with the Viet Cong. In the battles in Cambodia the North Vietnamese Army matched us firepower “round for round” and Sabo was killed while protecting a comrade from an enemy grenade, “low crawling” ammunition to his pinned down platoon members and destroying a machine gun bunker.

They described the American B-52 strikes during the battle as “leaving mountains of billowing smoke” and they felt the earth shake. They had air support after their May 5th, 1970 air mobile insertion from helo gunships, F-4 fighters, “Spooky” AC-47 gunships in addition to the BUFFS (B-52s). They lost eight members of their team and “live every day of your life” with those memories. Talking to the platoon members they spoke of the website they created in 2001 as part of their campaign of reaching out to each other. They began healing and in 2003 held their first reunion and “loved ones were never forgotten” and felt that they had friends who where “now my family”.

So the events last Wednesday were monumental in their continued healing from the travesty of a war unappreciated by many in their own country. Asked by the President to stand during the Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, the comments from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry members in attendance included:

“Never had a better day in my life”

“Brought back memories”

“Beyond gratifying, never forget it”

What a powerful medicine for this group of veterans! Thank you to the US Army Online and Social Media Division and our moderator, Ms. Ashely McCall-Washington, for this great Blogger Roundtable!

To read more from Secretary of Defense Panetta concerning the Medal of Honor please go to MilitaryAvenue’s Reading Room article, http://www.militaryavenue.com/Articles/Panetta+Praises+Posthumous+Medal+of+Honor+Recipient-39945.aspx

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Photo Credits: http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/sabo/

Summer 2012 Bucket List

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:39:00 +0000

Summer Vacation is soon upon us. A time of year I LOVE! The lack of routine is so refreshing but amazingly enough becomes a little old after only a few weeks (and depending on the moment, sometimes only after a few days).

So this summer my boys and I have created a 'Bucket List'. Things we all want to do in the course of our lazy-days of summer. Somethings are things I want to do as a family. Some things are dreams. Others are already being planned. This is our list of plans, ideas and joys for the summer:

Ride our Bike to Tasty Freeze
Have a backyard game of kickball
Catch fireflies
Have Small Group over for a cook out
Change Rooms (My 7 & 9 year old are ready to be separated so we have to figure out the whole room switch thing. Four kids and four bedrooms can be a bit tricky)
Dance at 10pm with sparklers
Have a 10 minute Dance Party
Blow Bubbles
Camp in a tent
Make homemade ice cream
Read a new book
Ride our bike to the library
Go fishing
Play in the new playground at the Kindergarten building
Make s'mores
Visit our Zoo
Paint front door trim and side door trim
Pick blackberries at Grandpa Kissinger's house
Ride a Rollercoaster
Eat corn on the cob from the grill
Watch fireworks
Take a picture a day of something fun and spontaneous
Paint the kitchen bar-stools
Pick corn from Grandpa Kocsis' garden
Try a new type of food
Plan and make your favorite meal
Color pictures to send to Grandparents
Have a pajama day
Clean up our book shelves
Donate unused toys to Goodwill
Make ice-slushies
Have shish-ka-bobs for dinner
Have a backyard party in the pool
Eat watermelon and have a seed spitting contest
Enjoy a root beer float
Water balloon fight!
Memorize a new Shel Silverstein poem
Take a walk at French Creek Park
Visit Millers Preserve
Lie in the grass and look at the clouds
Make Flubber
Sign up for a Summer Reading Program at the local library (MWR Libraries urge families to bring their appetites because this summer, "Reading is so Delicious!"
Cut a vase of flowers for Mom
Make a salad out of our garden produce
Catch a butterfly and then let him go
Enjoy a Crushers Game
Learn a word in a different language
Climb a tree
Go to an Indians Game
Invite friends over for lunch on the deck
... to be continued

I'm not done ... but this is what we have so far. When I hear an 'I'm Bored' this summer I can say, "Let's Look at our Bucket List" and see if there is something there we can do. They won't all get done. But it will fun to think about them all.

The one major thing I need to manage is DS / iPad / wii / computer time. My 9 year old especially can EASILY spend four hours plus playing computer games (I had a little experiment one Saturday to see if he could 'self-regulate' his screen time. Big failure.)

This year Summer Workbooks and Summer Job time will each have a reward. After they do their worksheet they will gain two marbles, summer job completion will also give them two marbles. Each marble is worth 15 minutes of screen time. They can save them up or use them each day. If they want more time they can read a book for 30 minutes for an additional marble. If they don't feel like summer workbooks or jobs they don't have to do them. But then there is no reward! I ~~think~~ know it is going to work. (Ah the power of positive thought!)

What is on your bucket list this summer? How do you keep the kids happy, busy and 'unscheduled' all at the same time? Summer Vacation, my favorite future thought! With a little planning, a lot of flexibility and smiles galaore it is going to be a great one!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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A Reflection of my Own Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:28:00 +0000

I was running a morning errand when I saw the car screaming in reverse down the driveway. I tapped my brakes not knowing if she saw me. She slammed on hers to avoid hitting me. I saw the 2nd grader in the back seat, her daughter. I could see the mom YELLING at her daughter. Hands were in motion, up in the air. Mom was flabbergasted over something. It was 8:05am and I knew that kids were considered tardy if they arrived after 8:10am and we live about 5 minutes from the school. It was easy to draw conclusions but I don't know what was happening exactly in the car that followed me through the development and up the street a bit.

Maybe this was just one incident. One bad morning. The alarm clocks didn't go off. They just got out of the bed on the wrong side. I don't know. But I was quickly reminded of something I have been very conscious of. Yelling. Yelling at my children when we are running late. Yelling when I have asked them for the umpteenth time to stop fighting. Yelling when they just aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing, or vice-versa. I am very conscious of losing my cool as Mom. It can be so easy for me to do.

I knew I needed to make a change when I started to see my own children mimic my behaviour. When things weren't going their way they were acting exasperated, yelling, slamming doors, not talking about their emotion but acting it out in a unhealthy fashion. It wasn't a pretty reflection of what I pictured a loving family environment. However, I realized it was in fact a reflection of how they were learning to cope with stress. I knew in those moments that I needed to make a change in my own behaviour so they would grow to be emotionally strong boys in a very mixed up world.

I learned to talk through my stress with them when appropriate. I started getting ready to go anywhere 15 minutes earlier then I needed. I taught myself that if we are a little late "Oh Well!" it is not worth the kicking of butt to get out the door. We made a conscious effort to clean up every day after dinner, making a routine of putting things in their proper place. I really worked on being calm, cool and collected even when I just wanted to SCREAM! (Amazingly the more I practice being calm, cool and collected the less I want to scream.)

The beautiful thing: I have seen tremendous change in my 9 year old over the last six-months. He is more helpful getting out the door. He loves to smile and say "Here you go, Mom" when he has helped me find my misplaced keys. If I ask for help 99% of the time I get a "Sure, Mom!". He understand that by helping he is adding to a happy family environment.

The joys of my life!

My 7 year old is still not as emotionally mature but he loves it when I give him hugs when he has done the right thing. If I say, "Thank you for getting in the car and getting your seat belt on; here is your water bottle for practice.", he beams. He knows he has done the right thing by moving towards the car. That has such a greater impact then yelling at him because he forgot to grab his water-bottle sitting on the kitchen counter. I can tell too that he made a mental note, "Next time grab water bottle like Mom asked me to do".

As I saw the young mom in my rear view mirror I prayed a quick prayer. I prayed that this young girl gets over being yelled at so early in the morning. I prayed that Mom learns the lesson it took me some time to figure out myself. I made a mental note to think about this girl and her single mom and how I can help them in the future.

How about you? How do you handle stress with your kids? In front of your kids? How are you teaching them to handle stress as they grow? We wear many hats as HH6s but the motherhood-hat is the most influential and important hats we have ever been gifted.

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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What is the Department of Defense Doing to Help Military Spouses Find Jobs?

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:26:00 +0000

"A Senior Engineer" with General Dynamics at Pearl Harbor, HI and "Part Time Bartender" for Hilton Worldwide Chicago Downtown – what do they have to do with spouse employment?

Military spouse at job fair - See below for photo credit

The Military Spouse Employment Program (MSEP) kicked off almost a year ago and has more than 440,000 jobs available for a military spouse to search through for their specific needs. The DoD Blogger Roundtable spoke with Robert L. Gordon III, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy) as he highlighted the many successes of MSEP and how it has improved the lives of the military community.

With a 26% unemployment rate last year and an approximate 25% wage gap for the military spouses, the military and national leadership had to respond to this critical need. While the 440,000 jobs listed are not military spouse exclusive, MSEP aims to insure that: they are portable for frequently relocated military personnel and require a “level playing field” for the military community applicants. Each business agrees through a Memorandum of Agreement to share spouse hiring information, to provide support from their Human Resources department and build a mentorship program for military spouses.

The program has been driven by military spouse concerns, Gordon – “we listened to spouses” said the jobs range from part time to full time and include various skill sets. When queried about skill levels required for the jobs he did not know the percentage of jobs listed that required a degree but he did respond that MSEP is focusing on education, health care and government jobs, (skilled job skills that many spouses have earned), as strategic issues for the business partners.

Secretary Gordon at Ft Carson - See Below for Photo Credit

In less than one year, MSEP has resulted in the hiring of more than 20,000 military spouses! Gordon said that was more than $400,000,000 in income for military families that the program connected business partners provided. Wow! More details on the jobs through the memorandum of agreements will provided at the one year point in June. This will include the major issues of pay gap, portability, career tracks, mentorship, etc. The program success can also be measured with the induction of 35 new partner members on Thursday, May 17th according to Gordon,. With their induction 131 businesses will have become military friendly employers!

What is the business motivation to participate in the program?

“Our military spouses are a great hire” with superior skill sets, on time workers, know how to operate in uncertain conditions, … but Gordon added that they want to improve the program and need our help. Feedback is critical to the program to ensure it is meeting the spouses’ needs.

Here is where to get started with your job search at MSEP JOBS: https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil/

A quick review of the site found the Newest Jobs section including the Senior Engineer with General Dynamics at Pearl Harbor, HI and Part Time Bartender for Hilton Worldwide Chicago Downtown on Tuesday. Wednesday morning it included Installation Manager for Dish Network in Colorado and a COBOL/PL-SQL Applications Engineer Humana Military Healthcare Services, Louisville, Kentucky The site has a listing of job fair events in the near future available as well. Today, the job fair locations included Honolulu, Las Vegas and Virginia Beach. If you call the 800 342 9647 toll free line on the site, you will be connected to a Military One Source counselor who can help you get started and also connect you with other resources such as resume writing, interview skills and other job connected skills.

Military spouses are true warriors in the civilian job market and this program is just the right thing to do! One of the most difficult things for a military member to see is a qualified spouse denied a job because they are a military spouse! MSEP will open many doors that were closed and provide some visibility to the challenges that spouses face and have faced in the employment world.

MilitaryAvenue has some great resource information in our Reading Room with Employment Articles such as:

Employment Initiatives for Military Spouses

Spouse Tip of the Week - Looking & Sounding Your Best at Military Friendly Job Fairs

Employment Resources for the Military Spouse

If you would like a transcript or listen to an audio of this conversation with Secretary Gordon please go to DoDLive! A big thank you sir, for taking the time to talk and explain this program to our readers.

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Photo Credit: Emily Brainard
Military spouse Katelyn Jaber fills out a job application at Fort Rucker's Job Fair last year at The Landing.

Photo Credit: Andrea Sutherland (Fort Carson)

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Robert L. Gordon III, deputy assistant secretary of Defense, signs the Statement of Support during the March 21 Military Spouse Employment Program signing ceremony at the Elkhorn Conference Center. Gordon was joined by area military and community leaders including Maj. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, second from right.

Father's Day Care Package Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Sending a letter to Dad

Kids say the darndest things! It is the truth. I got some wonderfully done papers for Mother's Day from my first grader. My favorite line on one was, "What my mom likes best about being a mother is _____." His response was "Being the boss". Who knew being bossy was so much fun, right?! :) I would amend his answer to include giving hugs, kisses, sharing smiles and tickles, 'Rise and Shine' and 'Goodnight Moon' and every hour in between ... but I'm sure he just ran out of space ;)

Now it is time to move from Mother's Day and on to Father's Day, especially if the Dad in your life is deployed. I found some wonderful Father's Day letter ideas on Pinterest that I wanted to share with you. (Click on any image to get to a larger version.)

Source: site.pinkpeppermintpaper.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Source: bigdandme.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Source: creativehomemakers.blogspot.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

I also created my own military-daddy related paper for you to use. Simply click on the image below, right click, and finally save it to your computer to print out. Help your children fill it out, and then put it in the mail.

Answers to these kind of surveys bring a laugh, a smile and maybe even a tear of joy. Take time to help your child send a letter to their Dad. No one will regret the time you put into this. It will be a Father's Day Keepsake stored in your hearts for quite some time.

Lots of more great Care Package Ideas for Father's Day or any day on our Pinterest page: Care Package Ideas.

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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'Muffins for Mom' and the Super-Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:10:00 +0000

This morning I had the distinct pleasure of joining my 1st grader in his class room for 'Muffins for Mom'. A Mother's Day celebration with his classmates. What an honor! We walked down the hall hand in hand before the school day started.

We enjoyed muffins and juice (my juice of choice was coffee), artwork and tic tac toe, smiles and hugs. A mother could not ask for a better way to start the day!

Let me tell you about Mrs G, C's first grade teacher, a beautiful example of a teacher there to help her students shine. Before the first grade year started an acquaintance and I were at the park talking. She learned that C had the same teacher her son had a couple of years ago and started down a long steep dark path about how we should REALLY try to get a different teacher. She was not pleased with Mrs G. at all. The reasons she gave concerned us.

Through C's first years of school he had somehow fallen into the cracks. We weren't impressed with his preschool teacher. We weren't impressed with his kindergarten teacher. C was quiet, shy and eager to please but if he can't please you he gets frustrated, and very down. (Who doesn't?!) Each of his prior teachers had told us he really seemed slower then most of the other kids in his class. He was not excelling. He needed to improve. Yet, they weren't really helping him to shine in his own right either, instead they had somehow dug him into a hole. So we were concerned that this was going to happen with his third teacher.

My husband talked with the principal. She wasn't budging. Mrs G was his assigned teacher and there was no reason to move him. So we watched him. We were on high alert!

Let me tell you about C's school year. He has EXCELLED! He went from barely reading picture books to reading chapter books. He is so proud of his penmanship. He finds joy in learning. He loves to tell me about his day and what he learned and who he learned it with. Mrs G is like a super-hero in his book. She sees something in him, rightly so, that others have missed. She deserves the title "Teacher". Thank you, Mrs G. for all you have done.

In many ways, today's Muffins for Moms wasn't about Mom and C in my book. It was about the people in his life that have and will have a very positive impact. Thank you Mrs G for the star that you see in my son and helping him shine!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

PS: Something to think about: When you hear something negative about someone, some place, something do you take it with a grain of salt, or ingest it whole?

One person's experience doesn't have to be the same as yours!

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MOISTURE MOISTURE MOISTURE - WEEDS WEEDS WEEDS - CALLUSES CALLUSES CALLUSES

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:41:00 +0000

Are You Getting the Most Out of your Garden?

Or How to Get More Veggies with Less Work

Amateur farmers – that we are! Gardening can be a great way to improve your health with exercise, relaxation and quality food on the table. But are you getting the most from your effort?

Straw Mulch

Small, part time farmers need to get the most buck for their dollar effort if they want to enjoy their garden produce and make those calluses worth it. So hours of weeding are not a favorite pastime for anyone – just think of all those stretches though! Taking the time to prepare the area by tilling with a machine or by shovel is a great head start! Get rid of the weeds and grass before planting to make it easier later in the heat of summer. If you do have a rotor tiller make sure the rows are wide enough to use the tiller as a cultivator later too!

Broccoli and Pepper Rows

Cultivating with a hoe is great exercise but using it to hack tough old weeds in the middle of a July sun is hot, sweaty and might be neglected. Why put in the early spring time effort to quit in the middle? So… save some time with mulch. Not only does the mulch stop weeds but your veggies love it too as the mulch helps retain moisture around your plant roots. So bigger and more veggies guaranteed with a few bucks and a bit of cooler spring time effort!

After planting your plants (wait till seeds come up high enough to be cultivated) cultivate around them, water them if necessary and then place mulch (we used straw this year - old is best and we paid $2 per bale) around the plants or in those hard to get places of your garden. Just do not use mulch with a lot of weed or other seeds in it and flower garden mulch is not the best for vegetables due to chemicals in the bark. There are three kinds of mulching: area, row or plant.

For plant mulching the rows are left to rotor till and each plant has a blanket of mulch wrapped around it. We do that for stand alone plants like broccoli, peppers and tomatoes. We do row mulching for smaller spaced rows. For example herbs; like basil, parsley; lettuce, carrots, spinach and beets. Finally, area mulching is for plants that send out runners like strawberries, acorn squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkins.

Area mulching for Strawberries and Acorn Squash

The final benefit of mulch? When you till up your garden in the fall for next year, the mulch improves the soil for next year!

HAPPY GARDENING!

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Military Spouse Appreciation Day Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:21:00 +0000

I come from a long line of great military-spouses! Both of my grandfathers served in the US Army during World War II. My father was an Air Force pilot for 30 years. Now my husband is with the Ohio Army National Guard.

Military-wives, in particular, have always been part of my world. They were the aunts in my life when my mom's and dad's sisters lived so far away. They were the teachers in the DoD schools I attended. They were the laughter I would hear coming from my own mom's soul when she was with her best of friends.

So here I am a military-spouse in my own right. The oak tree in the back yard that towers 12-feet high when it started out as less then a foot when we moved in to our first home as newlyweds. That oak tree represents 11 years of living in the same house! 11 years of roots. Clearly, I am not an active duty spouse. But I have said goodbye to my husband as he deployed to Iraq. I have spent weekend after weekend, week after week without him as he helped troops deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. I have advocated, educated and represented the military family in our non-military community.

My own boys, aged 18, 9, 7 and 21-months (he's our post-deployment ~~oops~~ baby) are proud military-brats. My 18 year old talks very seriously about joining the Army Nurse Corps after college. His spouse is our future generation of Military-Spouses. I don't know who she is yet but I pray for her every day and those that will walk along side her. I pray for her strength, courage and perseverance.

To each of our military-spouses, past, present & future, I wish you a very Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

Source: militaryblog.militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

PS: Don't forget about our two Military Appreciation giveaways!
Finding Your Rhythm as a Mom: Mom Connection and Military Appreciation Month Giveaway

PSS Join in on this fun blog-hop at Household 6 and Riding the Rollercoaster: http://household6diva.com/2012/05/2012-military-spouse-appreciation-day-blog-hop.html

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Finding Your Rhythm as a Mom: Mom Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:52:00 +0000

I remember sitting in a room full of friends and acquaintances.We were going around the room giving prayer praises & requests. My request was fairly simple. "My husband just found out he is deploying to Iraq. Pray for him. Pray for us."

That group of women was a room full of moms. They were an important part of my community: my rhythm. I was a mom of two boys, aged two and four. I knew these ladies through MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers. They were there for me as I geered up for hub's deployment, for the year he was gone and then rejoiced with me when he returned. They were a piece of my connection with sanity.

Connections. They are so important in motherhood. Amidst the craziness of sports-schedules, deployments, homework, TDYs/ TADs, simply fitting in baby's nap time some days, PCSing, drama, life. We, as military wives and moms, need to be connected. We need friends, family, folks to say "I'm there for you".

Mom Connection, by Tracey Bianchi, is a great reminder of this fact. I love the image she paints of a mom and a hula hoop, many hula hoops actually; trying to balance herself, her children, her husband, her job, her friends, her needs, & wants. It is a tricky act, keeping all those hoops in sync. But it can be done and Tracey offers some great pointers.

A few questions to think about:

After a PCS how do you meet new friends? Have you ever sat on a park bench and simply "made a new friend"? Take your children to the park. Get out and enjoy your new surroundings and look for others that may also be seeking friendship. I can't tell you how many simple conversations I have struck up at a park bench.

What throws your hula hoop for a loop? Deployments and PCSs are two big ones. A new baby, heck a new teenager can do it too. A bit of marital strife can throw off your whole center of balance. Throw in a mother-in-law who says you never visit or a mom that wonders why you haven't called; a "best friend" who still lives in your hometown who wonders "why you've changed". Add an FRG that says they need you to volunteer for the next meeting (Volun-told, anyone?) and well I could go on...

Where is your rhythm? Community, family, church, friendship. All people that can help you find your center. Your rhythm. Tracey talks a lot about rhythm, and fortunately she doesn't mean my dancing moves. Although turning up the music at 4pm and having a dance party is a great way to sync up the family's mental attitude, as Tracey suggests!

Mom Connection is really what MOPS is all about. Community. Who are your friends? Where do you turn when you need to vent? How do you balance the needs of your immediate family and your military-family or extended-family? If these questions leave you raising your hand like, "Yes, I want to know more", I would find a copy of this book: Mom Connection: Creating Vibrant Relationships in the Midst of Motherhood.

I have two of these books to give away. Friday, May 11th is Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Sunday is Mother's Day. It seems appropriate to have a gift to give. (Thank you to MOPS International for providing these books.)

If you would like to dive deeper into relationships and motherhood leave a comment:

How has being a military-family influenced you as a mom?

I will draw two random winners (so your answer doesn't need to be eloquent, just honest) on Friday, May 19th (which means I need a way to contact you if your name is drawn). Leave your email address in the comment or send it to me at leanne@militaryavenue.com.

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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FROST Warning - Caring for your Vegetable Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:49:00 +0000

A vegetable garden is both fun and exercise for those who grow a small one or have the time and space for a larger one. The rewards can be great with fresh vegetables and canning or freezing them for the family dinner table as well. We actually do all three and spent a lot more time preparing it this year after a couple of years of less activity.

Acorn Squash

In the fall we fertilized, placed some peat moss on the surface and then used the rotor tiller to mix it into our sandy soil. Early in April we rotor tilled it again after adding a bit more fertilizer to eliminate weeds and started putting in hardy plants and seeds like lettuce and spinach (we tend to be away in March someplace warm and sunny so we do not start plants in the house). We did one section at a time and had a drawing with our plan and this year we did a couple of new things.

First, the stick! The deck had a few extra 2 X 2 boards and I cut one to 30 inches to use as a marker. Carrying a tape measure into the garden just did not happen and 24-30 inches was almost a standard for most plant rows. That width would also allow the rotor tiller to pass between rows later in the spring/summer and save us a lot of hoeing. We ended up filling in our fenced in area this last weekend and thought we were set except for the acorn squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkins that I was going to build hills for outside the fence (we need the fence to protect the garden from deer and some large neighbor dogs).

Second, we placed some fertilized soil on top of seeds and around each plant when we planted them. The thought was to give them a kick start for early growth and strength. We shall see how this experiment works out.

Early morning sprinkler at work

The weather man had been cooperating nicely with no frost in the forecast and I put in the acorn squash yesterday afternoon, leaving us with peppers, strawberry blossoms, a few tomatoes and squash I had just planted as our frost sensitive plants. Then last night I checked the weather and the forecast which had been warm all the way to Mother’s Day had changed! In southwestern Michigan Mother’s Day had been our a safe date for planting so due to a busy schedule we had cheated a bit and now we were caught.

Fighting early morning frost

Returning to my earlier roots prior to my Air Force 30 year career, I woke at farmer time (0430) and checked the temp and yes it was 35 and going down and the sky was beautiful with stars and a bit of haze. Perfect conditions for frost as I pulled on the warm clothes and pulled out the hoses and set up the sprinkler system. If we had enough sheets to cover the garden I would have done that but we are now at about 150 feet by 100 feet – too big and the warmer water would protect against the threat! At 630 the temperature had dropped to 33.3 and I was certainly glad I could hear the sprinkler still spinning away! By 0800 we will be safe and hopefully the damage will be minimal if any.

Now for that coffee!

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Speaking to the Civilian Community about our Airmen plus...

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:40:00 +0000

As a prelude to Memorial Day the local Rotary Club invited a representative from each service to speak at their weekly meetings through the end of the month. The Air Force led off yesterday and I did point out that we are generally the first in during wartime as well. That created some very friendly service rivalry comments and laughs but it was a great opportunity to talk to the civilian community about the men and women serving our country.

We discussed the Air Force Heroes recently awarded Air Force Crosses, Military Spouse Appreciation Day (this Friday), the Budget Control Act (most had never heard of it but when I explained the implications for DoD you could see their eyes opening), the response to the Haiti earthquake and of course, the many missions of the Air Force. It was a chance to brag about the airmen we are so proud and their families as well. The audience included several WW II veterans and when I mentioned my dad and father in law were also veterans of their era they laughed when I mentioned my dads' ages. A discussion then occurred about how "young" they were. A lively crew for sure and one had served as an aircrew member flying 23 missions in the Italian theatre.

F-35 USAF Photo

It was a special time for me! Just last week I had the opportunity to speak to two classes of students at Grand Rapids High School about government service. They were polite, asked great questions and just like the Rotary, it provided a window into the military lifestyle and service to county. Michigan has limited contact with veterans or current military issues and it was an opportunity for me to dig into my memories, due some research and build a power point - Now that was fun.

If you find the opportunity to tell civilian friends, your community or schools about our military services, take it! It is a golden opportunity to recognize those who have served, are serving and you might even help a young person decide to look at serving their country!

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I'm a Winner! Thanks to UbiRock

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:10:00 +0000

Isn't it fun when you are notified that "You are a winner!"? I have to admit it doesn't happen often. The first time I ever won something it was a windbreaker from a pet store - eons ago. The next thing I remember winning was a baby carrier (backpack style) from Babies R Us soon after my now 9 year old was born. We still have that backpack and it has been used for my other sons as well as my nieces and nephews. It is like the gift that keeps on giving!

Just last week I got that 'You are a winner' announcement once again. Three days later in the mail came my UbiRock. It is a very cool little speaker to plug into my laptop, Droid phone or my iPad. Interesting technology; when you hold the speaker in the air the sound is terrible and that is the beauty of this thing. When you put the speaker down on a hard surface it sounds great! (Not like Bose quality but a whole lot better then Droid phone quality.) The UbiRock sends the music through the surface it rests on and different surfaces give different sound qualities. I have found the sound is great on my kitchen island when I need a little dinner-cooking mood music or great with a glass of wine, a good book and on the table next to my favorite recliner.

It is small (about the size of my mouse), portable (would make for a great care-package item to a deployed loved one), and charges via USB (so no batteries).

Thanks to Army Wife Network for letting me know about UbiRock's contest a few weeks ago. Head over and like UbiRock, maybe they'll have another giveaway soon.

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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Military Appreciation Month Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:12:00 +0000

In honor of Military Appreciation Month we have 5 Gift Cards to WalMart to give to Military-Families from SitterCity.com!

Tell us how you are part of the military family Are you a 'brat', wife, husband, Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Coastie, Airman, grandparent, veteran, mom, dad, or more then one!

We want YOU to know that WE Appreciate you!

Military Appreciation Month, as designated by Congress, provides a period encompassing both the history and recognition of our armed services with an in-depth look at the diversity of its individuals and achievements. It allows Americans to educate each generation on the historical impact of our military through the participation of the community with those who serve encouraging patriotism and love for America.

This month gives the nation a time and place on which to focus and draw attention to our many expressions of appreciation and recognition of our armed services via numerous venues and also to recall and learn about our vast American history.

National Military Appreciation Month (May 2012) includes Loyalty Day (1st), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (11th), VE Day(8th), Armed Forces Day (19th), and Memorial Day (30th). - http://www.nmam.org/about.htm

If you are 18 or older enter our giveaway below and be sure to follow directions for extra chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends May 31st, 2012. So enter today!

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Stretch Out in New Found Comfort

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Stretching out in style.

I had to have it: online bargain that not only pinched pennies, but my toes too… sigh! So, not the best of purchases, yet...

Such a good deal, and oh so cute… Who could pass up a pair of shoes that would go with so many outfits? Oh be still my dancing feet.

OUCH. They arrived as cute as ever! Shiny brass buckle, snappy color red inset. Loved them.

And then I slid my foot in ……….. whoa. This was not Cinderella standing in front of the prince.
What to do? There was no way could I let them sit in the box. So… enter ingenuity!

Air Force sandstone coasters are good for so many reasons! I pushed and shoved them into the toe area… rather like Cinderella’s ugly step sisters.

The shoes and coasters sat on the shelf for a week. Sunday morning my foot slid in and oh yes! It worked.

Stretch out in style and comfort. Give it a try if you have a pair of leather shoes that not only do not have wiggle room… but cramped quarters!

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An Open Letter to Teenage Drivers

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Dear Teenager Driver whose path I crossed yesterday,

In some ways I am sorry for yelling yesterday. I know I yelled loud. Adrenaline kicked in and Mother Bear came out. I now know you were scared.

You see there are three very special boys to me - VERY special. They frequently play on the sidewalk that you careened over. There are at least nine other neighborhood children who are all very dear friends. Children that we cannot replace. Children who play in our quiet street in our quiet development. A black-hole could have easily been created in our hearts that day had only one of our precious jewels from heaven been standing on the sidewalk between my neighbor's house and the stop sign.

You didn't mean to plow literally through, over and on top of the stop sign. Your head wasn't on straight when you took the turn at nearly 50 mph in a 25mph development thinking you could beat your buddy in the car in front of you by cutting down our street.

Maybe you didn't know that a car can become a weapon when the driver loses control. The tree you swerved around, the grass you destroyed, the sidewalk you left your tire-rubber on had no control over your car. In fact, you didn't even have control of your car.

But I wasn't sure if you were going to keep going when you got back on the road. So I yelled. I told you to

STOP!

... and you did. Your heart was racing, sweat was running down your face, you had no idea that could happen to you, the invincible teenage driver.

While we waited for the police to arrive, neighbors came out of their houses to find out what that terrible sound of brakes, burning rubber and metal to metal was from. We were all relieved that no one was hurt. But you were scared! Very scared. At 16 you were afraid to cry there in the street but you were shaking. Adrenaline had kicked in and then I saw the let down. The fear over what could have happened. What did happen. So in some ways I am sorry that I yelled because you were genuinely sorry. I think your own fear and realization that you really messed up was a pretty good life-lesson!

The USAA Educational Foundation has some great articles for you to share with your teenage-driver and they make a great review for you too:

Safe On The Road

Behind The Wheel: A Practice Driving Guide For Teens And Parents

But one thing has struck me. Maybe. Just Maybe. A life was saved yesterday.

Maybe you will slow down when driving in a housing development. Maybe you will realize you aren't driving a toy, you are driving a weapon.

Possibly our kids won't play in the street quite as much. You see we talked to them about it. What happened. What mistakes you made. How glad we were that they weren't playing where they so often play. Possibly my own children will be more aware of their surroundings, cars backing up, watching for distracted drivers, realizing that they aren't invincible on their bicycles.

I know I thanked God multiple times in the hours after your accident. I hope you did too.

- Leanne Kocsis, mother of four, neighborhood friend of many and am just glad that you weren't hurt yourself

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Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 11, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:15:00 +0000

Each year the Friday before Mother's Day is Military Spouse Appreciation Day; May 11, 2012. "The first Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then-President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense." (http://www.army.mil/spouse/)

This is a day to love, appreciate and tell the US military-spouses in our lives and around the world a special 'Thank You' for all you have done.

Military Spouses are flexible ...

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

They are resilient ...

Source: a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

They are strong ...

Source: Uploaded by user via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

(or behind their sailor, airman, marine or coastie)

But most of all they are human and they too need to be recognized for the sacrifices they make to love and cherish their sailor, soldier, marine, airman, or coastie.

How can you recognize them on their special day?

Be sure to check out 101 Ways to Thank a Military Spouse. Another resource is our Spouse Appreciation Board on Pinterest, images, thoughts and events around the country just for our HH6s. Lastly, if you are a spouse blogger be sure to join the Military Spouse Appreciation Day Blog Hop hosted by Household 6 Diva and Riding the Roller Coaster. (I hear there are even prizes and giveaways involved!)

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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Spring Brings Winged Marvels

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000

Cardinals are forever brilliant.

Winging this post... Sunday morning visitors!

Red Headed Woodpecker

A suet stop for the woodpeckers

Male red-bellied

Female red-bellied

Doves wait i n the wings.

A chirping black capped chickadee

A lone sentinel Blue Jay - Waiting to call in the flock

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Supporting your Military Child

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:20:00 +0000

There is no doubt about it. Military children are strong, resilient, and adaptable. But it can be a very stressful lifestyle and when there are resources that can help transitions, PCSs or deployments just a little easier it is important to share them. Here are 10 of our favorite resources out there for your family. Military Family Support is what we are about!

5 great resources for your military child going through deployment:

'We can be together when we are apart': Some easy ways for babies and toddlers to stay connected from Zero to Three when a loved one is deployed

Ideas for Children While your Loved One is Deployed: Here are some ways author Karen Petty, Deployment Strategies for Working with Kids in Military Families, suggests parents and kids can stay connected with their loved ones while deployed.

MilKidz Club from Blue Star Families is like a wing man for every single military child. MilKidz Club is all about cool events, free tickets, and tons of other happenings that all show our military children some well-deserved appreciation.

Create a Flat Daddy (or Mommy!) for your family to feel like your soldier, sailor, marine, airman or coastie is with you even when they are thousands of miles and oceans apart. [Although they won't be very conversational ;).]

Military Families Near and Far: A place where your family can create, communicate, and stay connected from Sesame Street and the Electric Company. Music, Art and more! This is a great tool.

5 more great resources for your military child PCSing to a new home:

The DoD hosted Military Kids Connect site lets military kids connect with each other in a safe online environment and share their experiences. There are also some great resources for Parents and Educators.

Those First Day of School Anxieties: Elaine Wilson from the American Forces Press Service had a few more good tips in "Tips Ease Transition to New School".

Supporting Your Babies and Toddlers Through Relocation: A simple pamphlet from Zero to Three with ideas to make your move smoother for the youngest members of your family.

Free Tutoring when your child needs it: Sometimes after a PCS it can be hard to get on the same 'page' as the rest of the students at your new school. Get help from a professional tutor anytime you need it at http://www.tutor.com/military. Tutors are online 24/7 and available to help in more than 16 subjects.

Keep in Touch after a PCS: Families soon learn how the demands and excitement of a PCS can challenge relationships with family and friends at previous locations. Here are some ways you can stay connected with long-distance loved ones.

What are you some of your favorite resources for our Military Children? Be sure to share them with us and all of our military family readers. (We love comments!)

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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Local Military Discounts & the Community of Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:42:00 +0000

The Military Family is a community of sharing. Where do you go to learn about new schools? Who do I contact to get housing at our new base? What is the best way to handle deployment stress for my children? When do I ask for help?

Sometimes the questions are less serious but still pressing:

Where is a military-friendly boarding facility for my pet?
Where would a good place be to celebrate our wedding anniversary?
Instead of living on base I want to live off. Is there a military-friendly Realtor or Apartment at the base we are PCSing to?

A great way to help other families is to share our Military Discount finder with them. This easy to use tool helps them find military-friendly businesses around their local US Military Base or Post.

Share our Military Discount finder (as seen above) with your website or blog audience by copying and pasting this code. It is a great idea for a new blog-post or can be used easily as a sidebar tool. We love getting the word out!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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The Cost of the "Five Finger Discount"

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:01:00 +0000

It was a simple project: put on the new grill flame covers purchased at a big box store. The old ones had rusted and worn out and these replacements would "take a sec to put on " and including time to wash and clean the grill … 15-20 minutes in a busy schedule. Sounded simple!

Flame covers that were maximum protected

Then came the packaging material on each of the four flame covers - very tough garage scissors were required to cut through the plastic on each one. It was not a simple process and each one seemed to take an hour to open to just remove the product. Then the brain started working on the cost of the plastic …

After some contemplation on why it was wrapped so tight with such tough plastic, I realized that is was an industry standard product. I thought back to when a product like this could be picked up with a simple price tag on it. You carried it to the cash register, the cashier rang it up, buyer paid for it and took it home and installed it. What happened to change this process?

Enter “The Five Finger Discount”, shoplifting, stealing, whatever you want to call the epidemic of theft that hit American small and big businesses. Theft became acceptable for some reason - even cool - and its debilitating moral impact is felt on the every day lives of Americans! At first, the business community simply raised their prices to cover losses and we all paid for the thieves’ “free purchases”. When the profit margins got even smaller the stores took more measures – hiring security to protect their employees and watch for the shoplifters at work. They also hired lawyers and asked local authorities to prosecute thieves (Remember those signs - shoplifters will be prosecuted). Then we saw store wide camera systems, multiple tags on consumer items and electronic tags at the exit doors. Finally, they started wrapping items in the super tough plastic to add one more way to discourage the thieves from removing the items and hiding them. So here we are back to my plastic covered grill items.

It took me an extra 20 minutes to do this job as it took almost 5 minutes each to remove the four items from their packaging. Just think of the time alone and how it costs us to remove DVD/Game/CDs/other merchandise! Besides, I paid more for them and I had to throw the cut up plastic in the trash for the landfills later. Recycling would have been nice but we do cans but not plastic in this area. This has to be a major impact on our environment yet we hear little about it.

Thinking back to the additional costs I just walked through makes me sad. As a nation, we have done a much better job of addressing littering and its impact on the environment than an epidemic that destroys our moral compass and has such a large impact on consumers and businesses alike.

Maybe it is time we had a national campaign educating folks on the cost of “Five Finger Discounts”? Parents should set the example and talk about stealing: Why it is against the law and what it costs us on a daily basis! How about churches? When was the last time you heard a minister or youth leader speak out against shoplifting/stealing? What should be the role of schools? How about other national/local outreaches such as social media like Facebook and Twitter? Just think of political campaigns? What can we do to help? One personal decision at a time to get involved.

Col K

Think back through that list of added costs and add one more – the juvenile courts are filled with shoplifting cases, many kids begin with shoplifting and move on to more serious crimes as well. Let’s run that list one more time …

Increased price per item

Security personnel

Legal staff for businesses

Local government cost to prosecute thieves

Security systems

Additional tags on merchandise

Electronic security at exits

Industrial packaging materials

Landfills/Recycling efforts for packaging

Prisons filled with many that started with a simple shoplifting rap

A nation that needs a bit of a direction change in its moral compass

This is my list, I am sure there are other costs as well! What are your ideas to address this plague?

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Tips, Tricks, and Photos from Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:32:00 +0000

A few of my favorite tips, tricks and photos for the week:

Care Package Ideas

Source: Uploaded by user via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Create a pillow case for your soldier, sailor, marine, airman or coastie. Iron on a picture of yourself and write cute sayings with a fabric marker!

Our US Military

Source: militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

'Returning Troops Find New Dangers on Civilian Roadways' - Report from USAA. Very Interesting

Military Discounts

Source: militaryblog.militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Military Discounts in your area - monthly email with local businesses that support the military-families. Easy to sign up.

Military Children - Ways to Support Them

Source: militarykidsconnect.org via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

From our friends at MilitaryKidsConnect: If you know a teacher with kids from military families in their classes, please share these resources with them on military life and culture

Military Spouse Employment Resources

Source: militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Subscribe to our Military Family Newsletter today: http://www.militaryavenue.com/Answers/Signup.aspx

Time for Some Recreation

Source: halekoa.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Hale Koa Hotel, an Armed Forces Recreation Center in Waikiki.

Join us on Pinterest and share in the fun!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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Rum Cake Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:26:00 +0000

Moist Rich Rum Cake Company is coming! Now there’s a reason to make dessert. A box yellow cake fancied up creates a cake rich in flavor and pretty as a picture! Back in the storage closet I have a Bundt pan that I save for special occasions… or just when I can THINK of some way to use it. This is perfection.

Cake serves 12

Cake ingredients:
1 c chopped or walnuts
1 (18 ½ oz.) yellow cake mix
1 (3 ¾ oz.) package Jell-O vanilla instant pudding & pie filling
4 eggs
½ c cold water
½ c vegetable oil
½ c rum

Glaze ingredients:
1 stick butter
¼ c water
½ c dark rum
1 c sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour 10” tube pan or a 12 c Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over the bottom of pan.

Mix all cake ingredients together, and pour batter over the nuts.

Bake 1 hour. Cool. Slide a knife down side to ease the cake out, then invert onto a serving plate.

Prick top in several places (so that the glaze, when applied, goes down into cake). Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until glaze is used up.

Best made a day early so that the whole cake absorbs the glaze. Cut in small pieces, as this is a rich cake.

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One More Challenge for Military Personnel! Post Deployment Driving

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:24:00 +0000

They just keep adding up for our military folks – challenges that is! But this one is pretty close to home and the safety of our service members and their families should not be compromised. Insurance industry giant, USAA has released the results of a study of post deployment auto accidents for military members and they have tagged a large increase for some groups following deployments.

An educated guess of the results indicates a lot of habits formed while driving in convoys in combat situations (to stay alive) can increase the chances of having an accident at home. So the best convoy and combat drivers may be at risk at home. During a New York city trip to a wounded warrior event a military spouse related how her just returned husband responded to a police officer at the side of the road pointing a radar gun at their vehicle – it was not pretty to say the least.

I always drive with my headlights ON – why? – a habit learned while driving in Iceland for three years where it was the law. Now it just makes sense but driving through stop signs to stay with the convoy has some serious implications for drivers returning home after a year long deployment. The statistics get even worse for multiple deployments so a second or third return does not mean things will get better. Habits are ingrained and must be overcome.

After we re-posted the study from USAA, one follower of MilitaryAvenue commented on Pintrest that she usually drove for a while till her husband was ready. According to the study, accidents increased overall by 13% after deployment. A couple of us were chatting about the article and we were worried that insurance rates would also climb but the press release from USAA said,

But the company has no plans to raise auto insurance rates based on the data. Additionally, no information about individual members was released or reviewed as part of the study. "We're highly, highly protective of our USAA member information," Drew says. Raising awareness of the findings, especially among military safety commanders, was the priority, he explained.

A call to action! First line of defense, the military services themselves to conduct education and additional post deployment debriefing. Next education efforts from the insurance companies to save lives like this study will do. Finally, the last line of defense, the military family members! Give your soldier, airman, marine, sailor or coastie a break at the wheel. Let them enjoy our beautiful countryside as a passenger for a while! Not always easy but it might just save everyone from the pain of an accident or worse, loss of an innocent life.

For further information about the USAA study please go to this MilitaryAvenue Reading Room article. Thank you USAA for providing the report and data to support!

Photo Credits: USAA Press Release

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