Active Duty Members (and others)... REMEMBER to thank your Spouses!

I am currently in the middle of unpacking our new home. Our HHG (household goods) arrived yesterday and the Express arrived this morning. As I wade through paper, boxes, bubble wrap, tape and all the assorted packing stuff, I want to remind our Active Duty, DoD, DoDEA, and Civilian Contractors to thank your spouses. We knowingly sacrifice our careers, uproot our lives every 3 years (give or take), regularly supervise the packing up of houses and lives and on the other end in a new home, town/city, base, and perhaps even new country unpack, wash dishes/clothing/bedding, clean, and put away much of the house. Don't forget to thank us. We work very hard and sometimes need a little extra thank you (and perhaps a hug).

Update: August 2013

It's been quite a while since I wrote. Between Izac's deployment, the loss of our dog, and then the move to our new home I have been a bit overwhelmed but I am going to make an effort to write at least once a week to keep things moving. Keep your eyes peeled. :)

SAT Prompt 2: Are there always other views?

Some people believe that there is only one foolproof plan, perfect solution, or correct interpretation.But nothing is ever that simple. For better or worse, for every so-called final answer there is another way of seeing things. There is always a “however.” Assignment: Is there always another explanation or another point of view? If you live with an attorney the answer to this is a resounding YES. They can find another point of view for EVERYTHING! The positive to this is that I am now more aware of the other side of things. I automatically try to think of the other side or another point of view in order to anticipate what he will say. I do not necessarily have to agree but I like knowing different sides to situations.

SAT prompt 1: Do we need other people?

I have been tutoring a student to help prep for the SAT. This is one of the prompts: A better understanding of other people contributes to the development of moral virtues. We shall be both kinder and fairer in our treatment of others if we understand them better. Understanding ourselves and understanding others are connected, since as human beings we all have things in common. Adapted from Anne Sheppard, Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art Assignment: Do we need other people in order to understand ourselves? I think that yes we do! As a military spouse it is more clear to me now how incredibly important it is to develop an understanding of others in order to understand ourselves. Very often we live in a self-imposed bubble that doesn't allow us to feel or see as we should. We wake up, go to work, do what must be done, and when things do not work out we think how horrible it is and no one knows what it is like. THEN we get an opportunity for our bubble to expand or briefly disappear, and in that moment we can see and experience other people's lives. When you see that someone else has it much worse than you do your lens through which you look at your life is changed and your bubble is bigger. As we grow and experience and meet new people we develop a sense of who we are and write the definition of us. What you are now may not be what you are in the future. Each person you meet can change your life if you take the opportunity to SEE them, better yet get to know them. At the same time you are adjusting the lens that they in turn look at the world with. Each person you meet gives you an opportunity to know them and yourself just a little bit better. My life as a military spouse means I get the opportunity to meet many people and adjust my lens of life. I look forward to each opportunity that I will get.

Busy Busy Busy

With a deployment I have been given tons of advice on what to do during this time...Right now I am trying to stay busy. This is not as hard as you would think. With the addition of chores that he normally does and my self set goals to complete all craft projects started during his previous deployments I find there is plenty to do. Now to get the motivation...I know I can do it but need to find the best way to have it happen. Updates to come. Now should I scrapbook, paint, sew or a little of each?

Sometimes you just have to cry

So I have joined the ranks of military wives whose husbands have deployed. I am 6 weeks in and I feel like it is going to last forever. I'm so tired and grumpy. I really need a hug and friends hugs are not enough. I think tonight is just a rough night in a long line of rough nights. I'm worn out mentally, emotionally and physically. I'm stressed and just don't have the energy or drive to do something about it. I feel like I am spending so much time telling myself and others that I am ok and things are normal and they are not. Part of me is missing and I do NOT like it. I'm scared and at times I feel alone. I know in my head I am not alone but that message doesn't always get to my heart. I must have faith that he will return safely. I look forward to that return but it seems a long way off. SO for tonight, I will mope, perhaps cry and then tomorrow will be a better day. One day closer to his return. One day closer to my heart and soul being complete.

WOW...I am super behind

It seems that life can sometimes get in the way...I will make my best effort to do this more. I have a dozen entries that I started but did not post so be ready!!

4 years

June 2, 2011 Izac and I have now been married for four years. I love my husband and I continue to look forward to our future adventures.

The Recovery

As the weeks have progressed the fear has abated...but in its place has been a frustration at not being able to do anything. I live in this wonderful country with an amazing host people and I have not been able to do anything. From the get go we were told to donate to the Red Cross. We did but that didnt feel like enough. A few weeks ago word came down that we would be allowed to purchase and donate items that the people in Sendai and the surrounding areas desperately needed. Izac and I were supposed to go on a trip but he had to do duty. I was at first mad but then decided that since I had the time I would go to the thrift store and see what I could do. I am so glad I did. I was able to do something. For 7 hour I helped receive, sort, box and label donations. I worked with some local Japanese women and made some new friends. I went originally to see what I could do for others but instead ended up feeling better. I ended up going back the next day and working another 5 hours. I am so glad that I was able to do something small for this wonderful country that I live in. The recovery is slow and will continue for a while. Nagasaki and Hiroshima were rebuilt after a tragedy and I know the Japanese will rebuild again. They have already rebuilt Sendai airport. The recovery will be long but it is happening.

The Aftermath

For the weeks that followed 3/11/11 I bounced between worry and calm. I had to keep my family informed about what was really going on (the American news was blowing everything way out of proportion), Prepare everything here for the possibility of evacuation, and keep things going as if nothing had happened for the students that I work with. When Izac was returning I was worried they would not let him come home. Once he was home we had to complete all the essential paperwork in case of an evacuation. I am fortunate that if I have to go back plenty of people are willing to let me stay with them so one less thing to worry about. What I was feeling was nothing compared to what the people of this country were feeling. Shock seemed to be the most prevalent. These amazing people have lost so much and there is not much that can be done. Here on base many wanted to help right away but we could not. Not until the Japanese asked for help. SO while the country mourned we had to wait. It was a hard time for everyone.

The Event

On Friday March 11th I was having a bad day. My husband was leaving again. I was swamped at work and grumpy. After the kids left for the day I decided to stay at work and knock out as many reports as I could. While working I kept hearing sirens going off. They reminded me of the tidal wave alarms that I used to hear as a little girl living in Hawaii. I had told Izac I would call him before 3:00 and had no luck getting through. I chalked it up to Softbank (our lousy cell phone company) and kept working. Finally at 5:00 I decide to leave. The sirens were still going off but since I had not heard anything I decided it must be a drill (we had just finished basewide exercises including full evacuations). As I was walking into my building a friend of ours asked how Izac was. I answered that as far as I knew he was on his plane and headed to the states. She answered "Are you sure they let him go with the earthquake?"....Earthquake!?!? Then began a tortuous few hours until I got a Facebook Message from my sweetie letting me know that he was O.K. I learned very quickly not to watch the American news because they were scaring me. Down in Iwakuni we were ok. There was no damage or after shocks that we could feel. We had a Tsunami warning (hence the annoying alarms) but otherwise we were ok. I have twice in my life been touched by horrific events first 9/11/2001 and now 3/1/2011. I have been so fortunate both times and am so thankful.

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

I had the opportunity to join a friend on a trip to the Nagasaki Lantern Festival. This is an annual event that occurs during late January and early February for three weeks. It is done to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The areas decorated for this festival are lit up in many fantastic colors dominated by red and yellow. We started out our visit at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. It was a small museum but well done. We then went to our hotel and settled in. That evening we explored the festival. There were 7 major sections that were decorated and lit up with several other businesses decorating as well. Below are few pictures of what I got to see. If you get the opportunity to go to this festival I say go.

While the Cat is away... the mouse will shop

I have discovered a bad habit that I need to keep control of. While my hubby is here I do not shop very often. When he is gone I shop more. Is it boredom?... probably. So what is my way to combat this difficulty? I have decided that the crafty things I have started must be finished before we move. This means that I plan to have my scrapbooking done by the time we leave. Here is to my hope that I am successful in both less shopping and completing my crafty things.

Best Wishes for a wonderful holiday

I have to say it... Merry Christmas!!! A little late I know but all I can say is whew. It was such a nice Christmas this year. I hope that everyone who celebrates Christmas enjoyed it. I know that not everyone celebrates this holiday so if you do not then I hope you had a wonderful winter holiday/celebration. I hope that with this time of year you may renew your spirit and find peace. I have.

Choices AKA Pro Con list

When I have a major decision I pull out the pro con list...actually I do it with big decisions and some smaller ones too...heck to some small degree all decisions get a quick pro con list (should I stop at that stop sign or do a CA roll...If I stop then there wont be a ticket but I could get caught by colors....on the other hand if I roll I might get a ticket and be even MORE late). Well I had to use the good old pro con list to make a major decision. I was offered the SLP position at the school here on base. The hard part of this decision is that I really like my current job. SO out I pull my pro con list and try to make a really hard decision. This is the first time where my list did not help with the decision. With all the pros and cons weighed there was no clear choice. I guess that means I must do some soul searching.

Thankful

Thanksgiving....a day to give thanks. I try to be thankful every day but today I find myself very aware of all that is good in our world. We have so much in our lives to be thankful for. I am so thankful for my friends, family, and most of all for my husband. Life has so many joys and blessings!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

What is GOING ON!?!?

Recently there has been a number of alarming events that have occurred around our country. Emergency services are not being provided in the manner that one would expect. We teach our children very early on that in an emergency you call 911 and the good guys will come to the rescue. Every 911 service provider from the call centers, to firemen, to police officers, and the EMTs are needed. ALL could be considered almost super heroes. Their roles are to serve, protect, rescue, and save and yet in the span of two weeks I have read articles about EMTs NOT providing services (leading to unnecessary death) and firemen NOT putting out fires (leading to a family loosing EVERYTHING and the cruel death of the family pets). When you can not expect the good guys to do it right who can you depend on?....I worry....

Kintai Castle

This weekend Izac and decided to explore a little closer to home. We went to Kintai castle. We had FANTASTIC weather and up on the mountain a nice breeze. All in all it was fun exploring. Our view was this

And This

And this

WOW

Where's the cat?

"Where's the cat?" An innocent enough question with a normal cat. With ours we run to find him. I looked in all his normal hiding places (behind the TV, in the closet, in the office) I then proceeded to get his favorite toy (the irresistible one)and tried to get him to come out. Nothing....at this point I was freaking out. I finally asked Izac to look out on the balcony and low and behold there is the cat. Izac had checked on a weird noise we heard about an hour and a half earlier. Darn cat got out and was stuck 6 floors up and nowhere to go. "Where's the cat?" Safe inside.

2nd class Citizen

As a military spouse you make many sacrifices that a lot of people neither know nor care about. Most spouses have some idea about what it will be like but every now and then you are smacked in the head and told to wake up. This week I got a reminder about our lack of status (spouses). A friend of mine had a death in her family. This is considered a family emergency. When a family emergency occurs we are allowed to get a letter that explains the situation and gives us status to fly Space Available (Space A) home. The categories are scaled 1-6. If my friend's husband went with her then their category was level 2. If she went alone her category level is a 4. With the Active duty member you jump two categories. I was very upset for my friend as she was traveling for such a sad event and I told my husband how I was feeling. His response was that it is a privilege for our sponsors (the active duty member) to have us live with them. To that he got a snort. I understand that to the military I am just a growth on my husband's side (one that cannot make decisions nor do anything on this base without my sponsor) but I say right here right now... I AM NOT LESS THAN MY HUSBAND. I may not be active duty but I serve right alongside my husband, sacrificing and bending... Semper Gumbi and all that....I am NOT a second class citizen.