The Legs are the First to Go

I was speaking to my mum this afternoon, sharing with her about a new book I'd started reading, entitled, 'I Love a Man in Umiform.' It is this woman's story as an army wife.
I love Lily. Her book is fresh and honest and real. I can relate to so much of Lily's story. Her marriage to her soldier began around the same time Mark and I were growing from friendship to courtship. Like ours, the War on Terror as been a part of their lives, their marriage.
I was sharing with my mum that one of the disadvanges of not having children (it hasn't been from a lack of trying) is that I don't have little people that give me a reason to get up in the morning, to shower, dress and eat well. Little people to help with homeworl and pick up after.
Who have their daddy's eyes and I can at night.
But then I have to remember that I am Somebody, that I have to get up, pray, shower, dress, workout and eat for me. I have to take care of me for my beloved and for myself.
"But you know mummie, the first thing to go is the legs. Women stop shaving their legs when their men are deployed. After all, the one who really cares isn't here to notice."
She roared with laugher.
"I never thought about it," Mummie said after she stopped coughing.
It is true. We stop shaving legs, binki lines, etc. Sometimes it is so bad we don't get hair and nails done. You know, those lovely things we do to feel like girls.
Funny, it was Mark who broke that habit.
When he calls he ask what I am waering, is my hair braided or free from the retricting plaits? "How long is it now?"
What I wearing; my black yoga pants and t-shirt, his old army sweats as PJ's, his favorite pair of jeans.?
Am I using his favorite scented lotion that reminds him of Morcoccan nights?
I realize this was the reason I needed to take care of me.
It gives my soldier one less thing to worry about.

Your Son, Your Friends, Your Husband, The Killers

This is a follow up from yesterday's entry.
You know your an army wife when: your husband comes home with a army t-shirt....for you.
We had been married several months and it was his first drill weekend. Because the unit was so close, he could come home Saturday evening and return to Base the next morning.
That Sunday, Mark handed a black t-shirt. Not one of  his old PT's, but a brand new tee from the Base.
It said on the back in big, bold yellow letters: Freedom is Not Free.
Four and a half years later, I still wear it with pride.
I remember the evening well; the War on Terror had just begun. My beloved son was serving on the U.S.S Abe Linclon. He was on ship when the first shots were fired off.
He came home the same week Mr.Bush made his appearance on the Abe.
That night I was part of an online discussion about the War, when I recived an e-mail. The person was unknown. But that evening I had been recieving e-mail thanking me for raising an amercian hero, asking me to thank him for his service, G-d bless him and our family, etc.
It was this e-mail that knocked back on my heels.
Someone send me pictures of what the bombs off the Lincolen had done; pictures of dead and dying Iraqi men, women and children, people with limbs blown off and blinded.
"Look at what your son has done. Are you still proud?"
"Look at what your best friend is doing. Are you still proud?"
It took several minutes to regroup and then I wrote the person back the following: "and what about Sdaam? He did this and far worse to his own people. Do you have a better way of dealing with Sadaam? With those who are out to not only destroy this nation, but all other nations because they don't like our "Westeran Way of Life? If you have a better way of handling this, why don't you write Mr.Bush. I am sure he would be open to the idea of not losing any mairnes,soldiers, saildors or airmen."
We deal with enough with our loved ones in harm's way.
We don't need to make ourselves targets as well.

It's a Reel Thing: Captain's Visit

It's a Reel Thing: Captain's Visit
The latest from Mark.

Love From.....?

One of the questions that often comes up amoung military families, both actived and retired, is how much Military proud should we show?
No doult you have seen them; you might even be one...
The proud Vet who's car and/or van is covered in Military bummer stickers, plates, sayings, flags, ribbons. Once while shopping at the NEX (Navy ExChange) I spotted a bummer sticker that read; 'Sexually Deprived for Your Freedom.'
Ani't the truth. Yes, I know, for some that was WAAAAY TOO MUCH IMFORATION.
But let's get real (Reel); there is a LOT we military spouses sacrific.
Then there are the Oneses the wee ones wear; "My daddy's/ mommy's in Iraq (Aghanistan).
There are sites that sell decals and stickers declaring "Proud Navy Wife" "Proud Marine Dad" "I (heart) My Soldier,etc, This includes ball caps, jewelery,key chains, teddy bears. My favorite "Half my heart is in Iraq or Afghanistan.' The yellow ribs in our hair, on our doors, on the car window.
The debate?  If any or all of the above is a loving tribute, a means of support or if the above makes us stalker's bait. Or worse; the target's of those who oppose the War. While such attacks are rare, it does happen. More than likely, what happens is ugly comments about our deployed loved ones or trying to draw us into an arugement about the War, our policies, etc.
The question is; how much attention do we really wish to call to ourselves?
That is when wisdom muct come in.
Not don't get me worse, I have a t-shirt with the logo of Mark's unit that I wear, along with a hat from his last deployment. I do have several army themed t-shirts as well as my Spouse's buttom.
But I also believe that we must be as "innocent as Doves and as wise as Serpents." While we can't walk about sharing everything about our lives (that isn't wise whether your military family or no) nor should we live in fear and jump at every shadow.
Each family must decide what is bested for them, where to draw those lines. And thanks in part to Family Readiness Groups (F.R.G) we have been guideslines that are wise and balance as well as fun.
There is nothing wrong with being proud of our heroes; we just need to be wise about it.

Chili Without Beans

One of the few nice things about Mark being deployed is that I can enjoy my Chili. Without beans.
I am not a big kidney bean (red bean) lover and frankly I like my Chili without beans. I  pour over corn chips (for the crunch) and a nice tall cold Coke.
And then there is Corn Bread Chili.
When the Chili is half cooked, you spoon small portions of Corn Bread mixture (my is homemade. Jiffy isn't kosher) on top of the still cooking Chili and it cooks the Corn Bread, giving it a nice topping.
And because I use Kosher ground beef and turkey, no cheese.
Mark loves beans in his Chili.
In fact, he prefers 18 bean Chili.
Just have to make sure the beans are fresh. Nothing worse than Chili and stale beans.
Of course there is meatless Chili, just the beans.
Yuck!
Now don't get me wrong, I would make a huge pot of Chili brimming with beans right now if it brought my beloved tomorrow.
But since he isn't here, I shall before the Telly, NOT watching the election results (as an American that is my right) and enjoy my very meaty Chili.
Keep your head down, beloved.

Lovely Comments

I would like to take a moment to thank those who have left such lovley comments. They mean so much to Mark and I.
I know we have many readers, most don't leave a comment. And that is cool.
But to be honest, the feedback does help.
And though Mark cannot read them from where he is posted, I do read him what people have written. It encourages us both.
Being a military wife isn't an easy thing, nor is it for everyone.
But to be honest, I wouldn't trade my life for anything.
First off, I ahve the love of a good, g-dly man. A rare thing these days. A faithful man who loves me, his family and friends, his country.
Being an army wife, I am part of something bigger than myself. By standing beside my husband, keeping the home fires going and yes, now with Operation School Supplies and Holiday Package, I have a small part of my husband's mission. He sees to the school being builded: I send supplies that the children need.
It is hard. The nights cold and lonely.
But for the freedoms we enjoy, it is worth it.
In my own way, I too serve our nation. And that is an honour no one can ever pay me for.
Well, give our servicemen and women the respect and honour their due.
That's payment enough.
Under the Afghanistan starry sky, my beloved sleeps.
Sleep well, Beloved.

Life Happens While You Wait

I just finished speaking to Mark.
It was a brief call; he was on his way to the Range.
He's going out into the field in a few days. So there will be a few weeks that I won't recieve phone calls or e-mail.
Yesterday, Mark met with the son of a Village elder. The local school needs a new wall. So Mark will secure what is needed to get the job done.

Here, parnets have the chose of Public School, Private School or Home School. In some homes it is a battle to get the child to understand the imporatnce of getting and having an education.
In Afghanistan, the children are thankful to have a school. They thank allah for the kind Amercians that send notebooks, pencils and crayons.
It is now cold in Afghanistan and like many military wives, I will include a set of Flannal bedclothes for added warmth in the box that I will mail later in the week. I will rub some of my personal body oil, the scent of roses, jasmine and myrrh that Mark loves. He shall lay on those sheets and smile; inhaling my scent.
We military wives do a lot of waiting.
We wait for letters, both snail-mail and e-mail.
We wait for the phone to ring.
We wait for that message that imforms when the plane is due, what gate to meet our beloved at.
And while we wait, we pray for their safely, for the people of Iraq, of Afghanistan.
We pray for our President, that G-d will guide him to make wise descisions for the good of the nation he services.
We take care of our homes, families, work outside the home and/ devople hobbies. We bake, crochet and take up kick boxing.
We laugh, we cry, we blog.
While we wait.
It is time for me to turn off the lights, save the one I read Scripture by, say my prayers and then sleep.
I have alreay spoken to my beloved.
Tomorrow begins a new day of waiting.

It is Snowing

Just after last evening's entry, Mark called.
It is snowing in Afghanistan!
It is the cold season now. And Mark, my Polar Bear loves it. The snow isn't sticking right now, but soon. The winters are brutal in Afganistan. Both on the people of the land and on our armed forces. So later today I am going to the Post Office and pick up the packing kits for deployments. It is one of the bittersweet parts of a loved one gone from your arms, but not your heart.
CarePackages. Boxes filled with love from home.
Homemake cookies.
Hot Chocolate.
Letters, cards and drawings.
Pictures. A lock of hair.
Mark says it is snowing in Afghanistan. As much as I hate snow, right now I wish I was there to share the moment with him.

The Second Report

Mark's second report.
Not as long.
He has been given the go-ahead and the funds he needs to get started. Now the real work begins.
Having just finished The Kite Runner, I know the need of good, clean water and health care that is needed. It is the most basic of needs.
We who can run water from a tap or drink water from a plastic bottle, looking more like infants in the doing, take for granted that refreshing, life-giving fluid. Not just for the cleaning of body and clothes, but to keep man and beast alive.
I think of how I could catch a cab to the doctor's when I had the flu, go to the drugstore to get the medication needed. And wherer Mark is, there are people who don't have a Clinic to walk to.
I think of the Turkey soup I made this evening. Had some for supper, the rest frozen for several more meals.
The same pot of soup could feed a Afghanistan family that has little or nothing to eat tonight.
Sometimes, I wonder if we really realize how blessed we truly are.

It's a Reel Thing: I'm Already There#links#links#links

I wrote this last night as well. Somehow felt it fits here as well.
It's a Reel Thing: I'm Already There#links#links#links

Mark's First Report

For all who are reading this:
First, thank you. I know whether you post or not, you are praying for my Mark. As well as the other men and women of our armed forces.
It is not easy being away from your family, letting your loved one go. None of us wanted this war, and we don't glory in it. It is our military and their ones who pray the hardest for peace; for we know how dear the cost of war really is.
I spoke to Mark last evening. We are so blessed to have this time, though it is 30 minutes. I stay up for that call. He calls just as he day begins.
He is pretty much over the flu and now out in the field.
For those who don't know, Mark is a Civil Affairs officer. His job is not only to serve, defend and protect, but he also works with the locals to rebuild their country. Mark is very much a Nehmiah: he has blueprints in one hand and his weapon in the other. He is the bridge between the local leaders and the army. Mark is part of the 'winning heart's mission of the army. Winning the War, one heart at a time.
From time to time (like last night) I wonder is what we are doing makes a difference. And after speaking to Mark, the answer is still: yes.
Right now, Mark is working with a few of the villiages to get them a fresh water supply. Also, he will be working with a clinic to get it back up and running to meet the locals medical needs.
This is the thing Mark loves doing: for by helping the people learn to depend not on the Taliban or even us, but themselves. This is one of the things that will break the hold of the Taliban.
True, not everyone wants us there or is grateful for all we do. But many are.
Like Greg Mortenson (his story is told in Three Cups of Tea) Mark's mission to promote Peace...one school (he started two schools in Iraq) one football, one Water Well, one Clinic at a time.
So when you take a sip of water, thank G-d for that preious gift. And pray for Mark as he bring fresh water to thristy folk.
The Captain's Lady

The Military Family

As with any group, there is always a perception of military spouses and families.
Often times we wives are pictured as hot mama who right after seeing their husbands off to sea or overseas, are off at the bars, drinking and looking for someone to keep their bed until hubby returns home. Or, grossly overweigh with five or six children and another on the way. Backward kids who don't know how to make friends or behave because of always moving. Girlfriends hanging onto their guy with the hopes of marrying him and getting all of the military goodies.
Ok.
That might be true of some, but not all.
I once read how stupid military wives are. If they made it to High School it is a miracle, having no job skills, their only worth is baby making.
Hmm...
Husbands who's wives are deployed are finding comfort in the arms of another, leaving the kiddos with grandparnets.
Really?
These are not the families I know.
I know a father, a very loving father who started his own home business to be there home while his wife was out to sea. He knew how to braid his little girl's hair, knew the little boy's favorite stories by heart and every week would sit down as a family to makeup a CarePackage for mum, including letters and cards.
I know wives who use this time to go back to school to learn a new skill or craft. Some start home busniesses that are easy to travel with easy move. Some who decide to offer their time to work in Soup Kitchens, tutor children, visit the elderly in nursing homes.
Children who keep journals for their parnets to read when they return home. Who delight in making CarePackages, writing letters, draw pictures and yes, even school reports about their mum or dad. I still have the letters Mark's nephew wrote him during his first deployment. Each family has its ups and downs and its struggles. But there is a pride that for the most part each has in the serviceperson(s).
Like every family, there is s favor, a colour each family has.
Cookie Cutter we are not.
Butter, Suger, Spice, Chocolate Chip with and without Nuts, we make up a wonderful assortment that is worth partaking of.
Like any other family.

Roses and Roachs: Which?

It is now early morning in Afganistan.

Mark is getting, saying his morning prayers and getting to call me.

In the meantime, I am about to shower, have a hot drink and settle in for the evening waiting for his call before I say my prayers, read scripture and go to bed.

He hears my voice before he goes to work.

I hear his voice before I go to sleep.

It is part of military life.

Bittersweet.

I have heard it same that the Military has destroyed marriages. I don't believe that is so. Like any career, it is a part of your life and it is the couple that for the most part controls how much powere their career(s) has in their marriage.

Yes, or both can be so driven in their careers that they forget to wom they are truly committed to. This is true of men and women who are doctors, nurses, lawyers, rabbis, pastors, businesspersons, rockstars, etc.

The military, like anything else, shines sunlight into your lives, showing up the cracks, revealing the true nature. Roachs run from the light. Roses look ups.

The question; which are you?

The Military. That is your job, what you do to put bread to the table and shoes on the baby. But isn't your life. Your life is the person you chose as your life mate, the one you believe G-d gave you to have and to hold, honour, cherish and love. Your life is family, friends, faith.

It is true, we cannot control when and where Mark is deployed or for how long.

But either the President of the Untied States or Uncle Sam is the Head of our Home.

G-d is.

And as long as He remains our center, as long as we are commited to each other and our marriage, the love is there and nothing, not even the U.S.Mililary has the power to destroy our marriage.

It just give us more creative ways to grow more and more in love and to keep the passion growing.

And going.

Where My Heart is.

Ran with permission from: One Marine's View
The Battle of Midway June 4-7 1942
Posted: 05 Jun 2009 04:11 PM PDT
Hummer Excluded from GM Sale
Posted: 05 Jun 2009 04:12 PM PDT
Army: Military Versions of Hummer Excluded from GM Sale Officials said some people called the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and AM General LLC, the company that makes the military vehicles, asking if the rights to the Humvee had been sold to the Chinese.
The U.S. Army is assuring people that General Motors' deal to sell its Hummer brand to a Chinese company has nothing to do with the military version of the rugged vehicle. Officials said some people called the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and AM General LLC, the company that makes the military vehicles, asking if the rights to the Humvee had been sold to the Chinese. Steve Clawson, spokesman for the South Bend, Ind.-based AM General, said the military and civilian programs are separate. "GM's proposed sale of the civilian Hummer brand would have no impact on the military Humvee program," he said. The Army's news service posted a story to clarify the situation on its Web site Wednesday, a day after news of the sale was announced. "We really wanted to clarify in the minds of our own soldiers as well as the general public what was happening, just so we were clear on the difference," said Lt. Col. Martin Downie, an Army spokesman. Staffers at the House Armed Services Committee contacted the Army after hearing the sale news and were reassured that the military vehicles would not be affected, said Josh Holly, spokesman for the committee. "I think the committee will continue to watch it just in case, but at this point I haven't seen much concern from members on the military side," he said. General Motors Corp. announced Tuesday that it had a tentative agreement to sell the Hummer brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., a 4-year-old company with just 4,300 employees based in China's mountainous southwest. GM bought the rights to sell Hummers to civilians from AM General in 1999, and GM hired the company to build the H1 model at a plant in Mishawaka, Ind. The hulking, inefficient vehicle, which dwarfed most other vehicles on city streets, was based on the military Humvee. Later, the automaker designed the Hummer H2 civilian vehicle, and AM General continued to build it. A smaller version, the H3, was built by GM at a plant in Shreveport, La. AM General is privately held, owned by private equity firm The Renco Group Inc., and MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, both of New York. The company, born of Jeep heritage, was once part of American Motors Corp. It began designing the Humvee in 1979, and since then has sold more than 200,000 to the U.S. military and friendly nations, the company said on its Web site. The vehicles became famous in the 1991 Gulf War. Tengzhong, which is keeping production of the Hummer in the United States, will face daunting hurdles in reviving the vehicle, known in Chinese as "Han Ma," or Bold Horse. Soaring gas prices have battered sales of the boxy trucks, which roar along on oversize tires and can weigh up to 5 tons. GM sold 341,000 Hummers to civilians worldwide through 2008, but U.S. sales have dropped dramatically this year. GM sold only 5,113 Hummers through May, down 64 percent from the first five months of last year, according to Autodata Corp. In a chat on GM's Web site Thursday, GM CEO Fritz Henderson was asked how a Chinese company with no experience building personal vehicles was able to buy Hummer, and Henderson wrote that GM had limited interest in the brand. "The potential buyer Sichuan Tengzhong offered the best overall alternative, and we did not have broad portfolio of other buyers," Henderson replied.

The White House Said Little About This

Police Say Arkansas Shooter Targeted Military
June 01, 2009Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A man with "political and religious motives" killed a soldier just out of basic training and wounded another Monday in a targeted attack on a military recruiting center, police said. The shootings were not believed to be part of a broader scheme.
The soldiers completed basic training within the past two weeks and were not regular recruiters, said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis of the Oklahoma City Recruiting Battalion, which oversees the Little Rock office.
William Long, 24, of Conway, died, and Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, was wounded and in stable condition, Police Chief Stuart Thomas said.
Both men were from nearby hometowns and volunteered to work at the recruiting center to attract other locals to the military. "They can show the example, 'Here's where I was, and here is where I am,'" Artis said.
Police arrested Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, 23, along a crosstown interstate moments after the shootings at the Army-Navy Career Center in a shopping center in west Little Rock.
Muhammad acted alone, the police chief said, and based on an interview with officers, the suspect "probably had political and religious motives for the attack." He lived in an apartment just 1.5 miles from the recruiting center. A search warrant had been obtained for the apartment.
Thomas said Muhammad, previously known as Carlos Bledsoe, would be charged with first-degree murder, plus 15 counts of committing a terroristic act. Thomas said those counts result from the gunfire occurring near other people.
The accused shooter's father, Melvin Bledsoe of Memphis, Tenn., hung up on a reporter who called about his son's arrest Monday night.
Witnesses told police that a man inside a black vehicle pulled up outside the recruiting center and opened fire about 10:30 a.m. Long fell onto the sidewalk outside the center while Ezeagwula was able to crawl toward its door.
Police said Muhammad's vehicle was stopped on Interstate 630 a short time later and the suspect was taken into custody. Police Lt. Terry Hastings said the suspect surrendered without incident. Police found an assault rifle and other weapons in the vehicle.
Jim Richardson, the manager at a drug store around the corner from the Army-Navy center, said people at the store didn't realize anything was amiss until hearing sirens outside.
"Nobody heard any gunshots," Richardson said.
Steven Johnson, an 18-year-old recruit, was on his way to take a qualifying test when he found police cars at the center. By early afternoon, Johnson was waiting patiently outside the yellow police tape.
"I'm going to check and see if they're all right," he said.

Freedom

Shortly after we were married, Mark gave me this T-shirt. I wear it with pride. Because those words are short, but powerful.
"I have my rights!"
"I have the right to....!"
"It's a free country!"
"If I want to talk trash about the sitting President or the former President, I can. Freedom of speech, baby!"
There are men and women who made the final formation and now laying a rest, in G-d good earth, who laid down their lives so that you can enjoy your hot dog and fireworks this weekend.
Freedom is' free. It was paid for the blood of Marines, Sailors, Air Men and Soldiers. It was sealed by the tears of spouses and family members who laid them to rest.
I still miss you, daddy.

It is the SOLDIER, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the SOLDIER, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the SOLDIER, not the campus organizers, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the SOLDIER, who salutes the flag, who serves the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.
And it is we, their wives, husbands, parnets, children, siblings who pray for their safe return and lay flowers on their coffins.

This is How It Begins

The packing of the bags.....

No Big Suprise

From Military Com.: Today in the Military
This is why it is, Washingtion, it is called War On Terrrism......
Pakistani Taliban Threatens Washington
March 31, 2009Associated Press

-->
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - The commander of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and said the group was planning a terrorist attack on the U.S. capital.
Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S., said Monday's attack outside the eastern city of Lahore was in retaliation for U.S. missile strikes against militants along the Afghan border.
"Soon we will launch an attack in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world," Mehsud told The Associated Press by phone. He provided no details.
Mehsud and other Pakistani Taliban militants are believed to be based in the country's lawless areas near the border with Afghanistan, where they have stepped up their attacks throughout Pakistan.
The Taliban leader also claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed four soldiers Monday in Bannu district and a suicide attack targeting a police station in Islamabad last week that killed one officer.
Such attacks pose a major test for the weak, year-old civilian administration of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari that has been gripped with political turmoil in recent weeks.
The gunmen who attacked the police academy in Lahore on Monday killed seven police and two civilians, holding security forces at bay for about eight hours before being overpowered by Pakistani commandos. Some of the attackers wore police uniforms, and they took hostages and tossed grenades during the assault.
Earlier Tuesday, a spokesman from a little-known militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban also claimed credit for the attack and a similar ambush-style attack against the Sri Lankan cricket team earlier this month in Lahore. It was not immediately possible to reconcile the two claims.
Omar Farooq, who said he is the spokesman for Fedayeen al-Islam, said the group would carry out more attacks unless Pakistani troops withdraw from tribal areas near the Afghan border and the U.S. stops its drone strikes. The group previously said it was behind the deadly September bombing of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad that killed 54 people.
Mehsud declined to comment on Fedayeen al-Islam's claim that it carried out the attack or to say whether the group is linked to his own.
"At this time, I will not give any detail," Mehsud said.
The Pakistani Taliban leader also said he was not deterred by the U.S. bounty on his head.
"I wish to die and embrace martyrdom," he said.
The Pakistani Taliban has links with al-Qaida and Afghan Taliban militants who have launched attacks against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan from a base in the border region between the two countries.
Pakistan faces tremendous U.S. pressure to eradicate militants from its soil and has launched several military operations in the Afghan border region.
The U.S. has stepped up drone attacks against militants in the area, causing tension with Pakistani officials who protest they are a violation of the country's sovereignty and kill innocent civilians.
Monday's highly coordinated attack highlighted that militants in the country pose a threat far outside the border region. It prompted Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, Pakistan's top civilian security official, to say that militant groups were "destabilizing the country."
The gunmen killed six police during the assault, and one died late Monday from his injuries, said Lahore's commissioner, Major Azam Khan. He said Tuesday that the initial investigation revealed that two civilians were also shot and killed, but he did not reveal their identities.
More than 90 officers were wounded in the assault, according to officials.
After gunmen stormed the academy, masses of security forces surrounded the compound, exchanging fire in televised scenes reminiscent of the militant siege in the Indian city of Mumbai in November and the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team.
Khan said three of the attackers blew themselves up when commandos retook the police academy to avoid arrest. Authorities arrested four others at the scene.
Wasim Ahmad Sial, a senior Lahore police official, said authorities have obtained fingerprints of the attackers who blew themselves up and have determined one of their identities. He did not provide further details.
Punjab police chief, Khawaja Khalid Farooq, told reporters Tuesday that a suspected militant who was captured at the scene of the attack had provided "genuine and actual leads that are beneficial for interrogation."
He said about 50 other people in Lahore were detained overnight for questioning.

Reality Hits

This morning, reality hit: Mark leaves in two months.
He has to train for six weeks before being send overseas. He gets to come home for a week, however.
I was picking up his coffee cup, noticing he hadn't finished it.
Starbucks.
He loves Starbucks.
I have to start making Carepackages again, icluding Starbucks coffee.
It was then that I started to cry.
It lasted just a few moments.
But it will not be the last Cry.
Now, I am back to cleaning out my desk, thinking about making chicken soup for supper since the weather is still chilly.
It makes one feel better.

Mark just called.
His orders have been cut for the next three days, starting today, preparing him to join his new unit.
We don't know where the unit is heading, but it will be sometime this summer.
And so it begins.....
Again.

So Here We Go Again

When I wrote yesterday's entry, it was with the thought of adding to it from time to time until the new task came down.
I just didn't think it would be this soon.
Yesterday afternoon, Mark recieved a call: he has been tagged for a new Task. Today he has to go to the unit Center and find out when, where and for how long.
Ah, the life of a Mililarty Spouse; never a dull moment.

Where I am Today

Well it has been a few months since I'd last written.
It's this thing called Life :)
Mark came home for two weeks in April and we were blessed to celebrate Passover together.
Two days before he returned to Iraq, however, we were involved in a serious car accident and I didn't realize how badly I was injuried until after Mark's return.
By the grace of G-d, with pain medication and PT, my back healed. And with it I learned who were my 'real friends' were.
In June, we learned a dear friend was getting married and I had the joy of helping with the wedding.
Mark made it home for Howard's wedding.
Since then, Mark has adjusted to life back in the States and home with his wife. He did better with rentry this time because he had a wife and home to come to.
And what did I learn? I relearned how to run a house without my husband being home. Once again I paid bills, did small repairs and even enjoyed going out for coffee or shopping with friends. I enjoyed times of worship and catching up on reading I hadn't done while Mark wasn't home.
We grew closer as a couple due the deployment, it strenghten us as individuals and as a married couple.
It was hard, many lonely nights. But in that loneliness, I drew closer to G-d.
And Mark.
Being an Army wife is not for the faint of heart.
But the love of the guy makes it worth it.

Keeping Busy

From March, 2008:
One of the way I have been keeping busy during this deployment is the planning the celebration of a young lady becoming Bat Mitizah.
After I had decorated our social hall for another funtion, I was asked to plan this celebration by the parnets.
It was so much fun. The colours were black and white, very Victorian and simple, but lovley. I even found black and white M&M's and she did an awesome job.
The best way to beat depression is to give of yourself, get involve in a project, reach out to another. And soon, the spirits lift and the smile returns.
And I also have something to share with Mark other than how much I miss him.

From March, 2008

From March 2008:
When one's spouse is deployed, there comes that time when you slowly begin to realize you do have a life outside the Laptop and telephone. You actually start going out for coffee and lunch or shopping trips with friends. You realize you have time to read that novel or work on that piece of cross-stitich.
Yes, there is still the lonliness, the waiting for the e-mail and the phone to ring, The carrying of the cell phone.
I do enjoy decorating the Dinningroom for Shabbat at our Temple, making things nice. The former dance teacher 'suddenlly" wanted her class back. I didn't argue?
Why? I can always find a place to hold classes if I wish.
But one Shabbat, I did pull my back with the lifting of my tote bag. My own fault. I know I wasn't suppose to work on Shabbat and should have taken care of this earlier in the week.
So I am now taking things easy. Lots of heat.
I have thought about getting a dog, but just learned we can't have dogs on our lease. So I shall stick to sleeping in Mark's old sweats and dreaming of my guy.