Thank you, Angry Parsnip!

Well, she's done it again. Gone crazy sending things over. Let's see, there are notes from her doggies, plain t-shirts and thongs for the kids. I'm sure she's even got the folks at Walgreens looking for her every few days.

Excellent!
There's a special place for you in the hearts of the soldiers, Angry Parsnip (damn, I wish I had that handle!). And a way special karma that just envelops all those you meet.

left: a box of flip flops purchased at Walgreen's for 1/2 off. Snacks for the troops. A box of Plain t-shirts purchased for $2 at Big Lots.

Post-Trip Ramblings and Cake

Note: To order the books I've mentioned, go over to the Amazon picks on the sidebar.

NYC is great. Daughter and I walk all over Manhattan, visit wonderful markets, talk to my friends, do a kick ass yoga class, and nosh on Red Velvet cake. So while I try to stave googling a recipe for RVC, I'll just rattle the stuff off the top of my brain. (On my d2d blog, I've done a nifty piece about writing).

Anyway, my friends in NYC like to watch TV, so I hear a lot of news. I have to say that our current politicians seem seem to have a focus on issues that's fuzzy at best. Frankly, it's not exclusively the problem of just one party but both. Neither the media nor our leaders have a focus on Afghanistan right now, and this to me is worrisome.

Sarah Chayes

I also want to know why I don't see more hooah hooah from military supporters for people like Greg Mortenson, or Sarah Chayes. Mortenson has been in and around the region since 1995. Certainly, he knows a thing or two. Read my review of Greg's book here. Chayes is gutsy, opinionated, a complete pain in the ass --just the sort of broad you probably want to know over there (When I reviewed her book, I pegged her as Indiana Jones's new girlfriend). The brass reads their books, I think others should too.

Why? Because they're interesting, and their books are readable, they're not laden with gobbledegook. And man, these two are dogged. It's just the sort of reading that can jumpstart one's view of this whole thing.

But not to pin this all on the mil-community. After all, if our politicians are too busy being led by the media and focusing in on trying to define a healthcare system they've never understood, a Harvard Profesor's unfortunate arrest, saving an auto industry that should have been left to rot, it's not surprising the collective American viewpoint is fuzzy. I mean, we as a nation are acting like Brittney Spears being chased by Papparazzi, trying to find the children she lost because she wasn't right in the head.

General McChrystal is going to be making his recommendations soon. He should be ready to have his picture in the NY Times, with the far left besmirching his name with some really stupid off-rhyme. He should also prepare to have a bunch of ladies in pink interrupting him, assuming the worst, and while doing so dressed in an assortment of clothing that would make a chapter of Glamor Magazine "Fashion Don'ts." But what I hate most of all are the sharp divisions that will incur irrespective of what he details. It'll be liberals pitted against conservatives, and the stealthy on either side will mine what they want --not necessarily putting everything he says in the right context. So I think of this, and am getting ready to either grit my teeth or piss a lot of people off --or both. Whatever he does, the left-wing is going to chase him down like papparazzi did to Brittney. Fortunately, for us, he's already got the buzz cut.

By the way, I did get word from my husband. If anyone ever wants to send clothes for the kids either through the wonderful Hope or through Anysoldier.com, --make sure you don't send stuff with ANY logos or emblems. No American flags, no slogans that say, "Just do it " or "Got Milk?" Anything connecting those kids with the Americans can bring repudiation from the T-ban. Same goes with pencils and notebooks. The word is to go plain if you're going to send something.
And on this word, screw it all --I shall close with cake.

Peace, Love and Cake!

First Photos, NYC

Mine Soldier Hath No End Of Vanity

Okay for those of you who have been following my blog, my husband has always been "hubby" or "hubs."

Today, he sends me this note after reading my blogs:

But "hubby"? I think I would prefer even Old Man

So I responded:

Okay, I can call you The Old Man, except it makes me sound like a 70's Hippy Chick, of which I have never been!

Here is his explanation:

"The team here is super-professional, well-trained and efficient. They all know exactly what to do so I just supervise, give advice, talk to command, make reports and, of course, operate. Apparently, I'm much faster than the surgeon I replaced, so they love me, even if they do call me "Old Man." * These guys are for the most part in their mid-twenties, though you would never know it. We are all mature and able to take the bad with the good and stay focused."

Yeah, maybe I shudda called hubby "Vain Old Goat."
Anyway, I write my characters as I see them. I think I'm sticking to hubby. After all, it's better than Vain Old Goat.

*Seriously, it's not surprising. With 23 years under his belt in both trauma, clinical medicine and advanced laproscopic training, all of that experience has made him very adept at what he does.

And yes, the Forward Surgical Teams are incredibly dedicated teams of trauma masters. Rest assured, the soldiers are being very well taken care of.

In a few days, I'll post their team shirt. If you want to buy one, let me know.

Blog Review: Free Range International

babtim's project: Building flood ditches in Jalabad. Image from Tainted Love: FreeRangeInternational

I'm in NYC this week. This will auto-post.

I've sailed into a sea, navigating both the history and the culture of Afghanistan. It's one rich with names I'd heard of when I was young: Alexander, Genghis Khan, the Mughals. I hope to gain a historical perspective that might --well, if not lead to an understanding, at least an acceptance of the differences between the two societies. In addition, my nightstand is piled high with books on Petraeus, COIN, and soldier's experiences. I do this because watching the news teaches me nothing except chest pounding and flag waving. So I end up learning from bloggers like babatim, shembot and james.

Together, they write a brilliant blog: Free Range International. They run a security consultant firm and assist with infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, which also pay wages to locals in need of an alternate revenue source. It's fascinating reading with stunning photography, replete with descriptions of the complexity of the culture. Simply put, this is the stuff we need to be reading because it gives us a deeper understanding.

They even share the small stories that bring a village to life. Recently, there was the the wicked Aunt who poisoned the betrothed her niece was supposed to wed. Turns out.. the niece didn't want to marry, turns out the Aunt decided not to attack head-on a generations old practice of arranged marriage, turns out wicked Auntie had a vial. In a tale straight out of Arabian Nights or Shakespeare, Auntie did the evil deed. Tainted love, indeed. This is the stuff fiction is built from.

Free Range International shares its opinions on what works and what doesn't in rugged, but well parsed language. There's an immediacy to the language: this is stuff happening now, it's original writing about history witnessed and made. This is what makes Free Range a standout.

Pragmatists, they sidestep the politics that separates us here. Recently, a commenter expressed something I've oft heard before. Is all this work --the fighting, the building going to make any difference? Are we not coming up against a wall built of centuries of conquest and deprivation? The suggestion was this: wouldn't it be better to just have a military base there for show? You know, the hooah hooah, the maneuvers and the occasional blast of a cannon to keep everyone in line? Call it the pest control approach: like those trucks with the big dead bug affixed to the roof. A warning to bugs to bug off.

But a static military installation is one that spells doom and signals lackluster leadership. Whereas, rebuilding desperately needed infrastructure, water aqueducts, training for medical care, getting newspaper presses running again, fixing electrical plants, agriculture and livestock assistance, providing means for alternate revenues, and schools are what a society needs to thrive. More to the point, they make paying jobs for the local population:

"My project is making a positive impact in a critically important area but without follow up it will amount to very little. If you sent in guys like us and our Afghan teams we could start massive cash for work projects ahead of a military operation and tie up thousands of local men with better pay than the Taliban can give them for much less work and risk. But we are not even close to that kind of thoughtprocess yet.' -babaTim

American soldiers, as well as others from the world armed forces, want to leave a positive mark. What babatim suggests isn't such an idealistic, Hippy 60's kind of thing. It works. And we're really interested in projects that bring results. After all, the generation of 20 year old soldiers fighting this war has another 50 years to see the long term results of this war. More than we who are older, they have a vested interest to see progress in Afghanistan. It would seem we have an enormous mental shift as a nation to take.

Travel, Great Books & Blogs

Panda graces a box of pet supplies sent by Angry Parsnip. It was sent to hubby last week.

Laundry, laundry, laundry. I'm leaving for NYC in the morning. The housesitting crew is already staying here. The animals will be spoiled rotten. I've separated this blog from my day-to-day (aka, my peace love and cake) blog, Easy-Writer.

In the meanwhile, there'll be at least one post on auto-post. I'm reviewing a blog that I think really hits a lot of core issues. I received a super nice note from the author in response to my compliments on his, hence, you can read about it on the 23rd. What I like about it: he tells us what works and what doesn't. He deftly sidesteps the politics that separates us as a nation.

In addition, I'll be reviewing a book that's been out for awhile, but is significant in how it was written. It's always been my dream to get my own novel published (on the final draft now --has nothing to do with military life), and then teach writing to soldiers. Anyhoo, the book I'll be reviewing "Operation Homefront" was written in such a way. I was happy to see former NEA chief Dana Goia write the introduction. I've long been a fan of Goia's work as a poet.

I notice I'm getting hits from all over. I did get a nice note from a very classy person at Centcom who enjoyed it. Anyway, do leave your little cute face on my "Smarties" to the right of the sidebar. If you have a photo, great. Google will take you through the steps to upload it and link to it with your blog if you don't.

I was thinking of why I'm writing this blog. If I can help breakdown stereotypes about the military to people who would normally not read this blog, or have a post-Vietnam stereotype of who soldiers are, then I've accomplished something very big. Each day we're in, I learn more and stereotypes are shattered. If we're going to do anything to work toward peace, we have to shuck a lot of preconceived notions, be willing to learn, and go forward from there.

Peace, Love, and Cake!

Need To Know

Apologies if this sounds annoyed. As you've noticed, I don't share much on here about hubby's deployment. However,
there are a handful of friends I share information with regarding his deployment and family life. They're my FRG, the people who have done a lot for me and my family, the ones I know if I ever needed anything, they'd be at my door in a second.

But then there are those who aren't in the loop. Mainly because they haven't been involved in our lives very much. But the bigger reason is they have a propensity for sending out emails in bulk to all their online buddies. Spam is like getting circular adds in at my home mail box. I'm not talking one or two over a span of months, but 7 or 8 a day. It's a really bad habit, annoying, and it just shows a lack of perception and boundaries. So in terms of sharing information about a loved one in a dangerous situation, I can't take a chance that they're not going to forward my updates to all of their friends. Because it seems to me that anyone who sends out multiple spams has an issue with discretion.
So most people only need to know this:
"Hey, how are things going?"
Answer:
"Heroic deeds and small acts of kindnesses are being done each day."

Milestones: A Daughter Becomes A Teenager

Daughter showing her Daddy some of the roses he sent.
First off --hello to Coffeypot one of my new smarty friend on the sidebar!

Daughter became a teenager today. In addition, the cat she found on her birthday at the park nearby, marked his second year with us.
She made a 3-tired jello concoction.
I baked a cake.
Her godparents made lasagna.
Her friends came over. Then we all went to godparent's home because they have a pool. Friends Eileen & Nick came too.
Hubby sent her 2 dozen roses. Hence, the first roses she's ever gotten came from her Dad. Not some geeky guy who will someday steal her heart.
The high point of her day was talking to her Dad on skype, who was waiting for us when we got up.
I think it's harder for him not being able to see these milestones. He and all of his colleagues miss milestones in their childrens' lives. Through the centuries, as long as there have been wars, this has been the case.

But electronic communications are something we're so lucky to have. It helps a lot.
Think back to the days of Alexander! Coming home after years and finding families and even villages gone! Or even flip forward many centuries and going back just to Vietnam, Empress Bee once commented that she would wait a month before receiving a letter from Sarge Charlie. It couldn't have been easy.

So yes, even though we are apart.... Life Is Good.

Panda sticks his tongue out, but life is good for him too. It was hubby who carried the little, flea-ridden, sick starving kitten who we found in the park on daughter's 11th birthday!

Afghanistan: A Fight For Women?

Article originally published at Blogcritics.org

Khanday schoolgirls carrying new uniforms, Pakistan. All images from the Central Asia Institute.

Last week, a few milblogs posted about the brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan. While this news item would more likely be seen on a humanitarian or women-based blog, what was significant is that it cropped up on the Milblogs, which are a traditionally male - dominated genre.

The history or womanhood is riddled with murder of wives no longer wanted, the murder or abandonment of unwanted baby girls, the selling of young girls into slavery, trafficking of girls into prostitution, rape, the withholding of education, sweat shop conditions, forced marriages, & female castration. These realities unsettle all women, and yet when we bring them up we risk being relegated to the status of left wing moonbat, a veritable Birkenstock shod, skirt wearing clad radical.

There have been books, colleges have had symposiums, documentaries have been produced, there have been international womens conferences on equality and the need for education as a means for gaining economic parity. Without the education of women and girls, the chances for freedom in the long term is slim. So, one wonders whether or not this brief story will stick or if it will be mentioned and then forgotten in the media and the milblogs.

Back in the day, I was a member of a mainstream organization that promotes education and equity for women and girls. Education gives women personal and economic choices. It also gives their children and subsequent generations options as well. But still, back when I was active, we ran into a wall of denial, castigation and suspicion even on our own soil.

Why? We weren't indignant enough for the left; the far-right thought if we just shut up, things would be okay; and the religious right was sure we were going against the grain of God. It seemed we were out there on our own, even though in retrospect our organization usually leaned conservative.

Lalander School, Afghanistan

But the thing people were most afraid of was being labeled a feminist and its accompanying image: unkempt, loud, abrasive and disrespectful. I can't fault some for rejecting the label or the image; however, I can take issue with not pushing away the stereotype to take in the message of education and equity. Like it or not, those noisy women were the reason why quieter ones have been able to advance in the workplace. Cultural shifts require a few tenacious, abrasive persons to crack open the door. Fortunately, our ascent is a lot easier than the war and violence these girls will experience.

Greg Mortenson, of Three Cups of Tea has written passionately about educating women and girls in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. Way before the world's involvement, Greg was already quietly building schools in Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since the 1990's, he has built 90 schools --all of them have included girls. He has been ahead of the curve, a visionary and more to the point, someone who has been willing to make it his life's work. We need to heed his words.

Life isn't perfect and war is proof. Unfortunately, often the justifications come out while in the thick of things. While there are plenty of arguments about failed missions, or against state-building, if there's any reason to be in Afghanistan it's to offer an option of a better life. This has to include raising the status of the silent and sheathed and giving them access to education. While this represents a change in perception, having women able to make choices through education makes it easier for the men economically. But there are risks when anyone injects change, and sadly, they are mounting a fight which is costing human lives on all sides.

Greg with Gultori schoolchildren in northern Pakistan
War is abhorrent, and we always face the inevitable but unanswerable question: Is it worth it? Maybe not to those who have lost a loved one. But ironically, the future of women and girls is caught up in this war.

There are questions for those who advocate pulling out, and doing so now. Can we turn a blind eye to systems that withhold education, and uphold humiliation, and brutality? Especially if we know, once we leave those girls will lose every gain they have made? Once you give someone education, it is inconceivable to rip it from them.

The challenge for Milbloggers and others is to keep this cause in focus, as our leaders evaluate what's working and what's not. For those who are anti-military, hate everything about the institution on a belief system reliant on stereotypes, the challenge is to start seeing those who wear the uniform as individuals capable of helping to bring good changes to women with fewer options than themselves. Because frankly, neither side can do this alone.

A Day For Pictures

The Washington Post has put up an excellent slide show by photographer Nikki Khan. You can see it by going to this page

Photo on Left: The Marines are getting hammered in the south. Here's a photo from the Wall Street Journal by Photographer Tim Winborne/Reuters shows:
"First Lt. Fio Rito gave a thumbs-up to his comrades before boarding a helicopter in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, for a support mission Friday. Authorities said Friday bombs killed 12, including a British soldier, in Kandahar Province."

A lot of these guys are probably between the ages of 19 - 23. I can only imagine how tense it is, along with the noise, dirt and the smell. It's not so long ago that any of these were just kids in school. I hope they make it all back. I hope the complacent & selfish in our nation starts caring about this war. Until they do, nothing will change. Everything will be an desperate grasp to maintain status quo. As a nation, I know we can do better than this.

Yoga: My Favorite Exercise

But fortunately, I have yet to encounter the infamous Ogden!

Yoga Journal - Ogden: The Inappropriate Yoga Guy

Posted using ShareThis

The Best Team Of Professionals

First of all --I'm getting a lot of wonky hits from foreign countries. So hello!

The other night, hubby wrote:

"I work with the best team of professionals."

It means a lot to him because the work they're doing requires tireless and accurate teamwork and consistency.

So remember this:

If your loved one should ever need medical care when deployed:

They will be tended to with dignity and compassion by the
"best team of professionals."

Have faith. It's true. And from one milspouse to another: hang in there.

Because sometimes quiet is nice...

St. Simons Island, GA
Leave your thoughts here.

New look & Maps

That's right. I finally figured out how to alter the HTML code to get a 3-column layout.
Not my kind of thing, but if you want to do the same, check out: visit Three Column Blogger.

Ever since India, I've had a map of Central Asia hanging about. Now there is a map of Afghanistan is taped in the kitchen. There are dog-eared books, well thumbed over. I've read about Alexander, The Turks, The Mughals, Genghis Khan, The British and The Soviets. It's a history of invasions, plunderings, conquests and rebuilding time and again. If only the politicians, the pundits, & the vox populi had taken this all into account. Might our approach have been different, had they looked at a map and read a few books?
Moreso, can we now take it in and take a long range view?

No doubt about it, we're in for a long, hard, violent fight and while I appreciate General Petraeus states it plainly and boldly (I'm one of the milspouses that doesn't like sugar coating), our politicians are dropping the ball. They are ignoring us, while the mainstream media was more fixated on Michael Jackson than whether or not Helmand is in the East or the West. Meanwhile the lefty lefties are back to calling Petraeus a war criminal, before going back to their plasma TV's, fast internet connections, and restaurant meals.

Hats off to Bouhammer for giving everyone a start on Maps over on The Sandbox.
Now, I'm going to bed.

For the Weekend: Skunked

Do not be fooled by the complacent beauty of this cat. Each night he goes out, and inevitably we smell the odoriferous stink of skunk. I'm pretty sure that Panda is 90% responsible for going off next door and setting the little stinkers off. Being that there are mama skunks and babies, what's being set off is x3. You can imagine the rush to close windows and then edge outside to spray the air with water, as well as wash off the porch. Of course, Panda always comes in not saying much but bearing the whiff of skunk.

Anyway, I say we send a few thousand skunks off to Afghanistan to add a final coda for the insurgents.
Cute little critters, but gads! Their stink is like no other. Nauseating.

Update: Cats, Dogs and Sundry from the Sandbox

I have to give a shout out to Angry Parsnip and milspouse Bette, as well as Flag Gazer for sending me goodies for Lugu and Tripod. But bad news: turns out Lugu has mange. They don't have the proper medication, rather they tried to give some sent from the states to the mutt, but it was spit up. Tripod, also appears to have some kind of drooling issue. I'm guessing either an abscess or a respiratory infection. The mange is problematic over there. He needs intense medication, plus baths. They can't do that there. They're hoping that when the Ag unit moves in, they'll tend to Lugu. But frankly, Lugu doesn't have too much time. Anyway, if anyone has any ideas, or if there's a veterinarian who wants to toss a few vials of whatever my way, email me. My address is on the sidebar.

Okay, so I've been lucky. Hubby's internet was working for a few consecutive days, so I not only got emails, but saw him twice on Skype. I'm really not one for videoconferencing, as quite frankly, I usually look a mess. So we put up a picture of our cat Panda and have the camera facing it just in case I'm a mess.

But his connection is down right now. I guess their modem crashes, and then it takes awhile for them to get it going again. You know how it is. But I just accept that no news is good news. However, I did gasp when one of his colleagues from the base in GA called this morning. He was just asking for info. But you can imagine that for a split second, I was a bit disoriented.

Anyway, he's busy, as should be expected. Here's a photo of the OR. Yes, it's small, but they can do all sorts of procedures, operations and stabilizations here.

He hasn't received any of the things we mailed him, and now we're wondering if he had the right address. Anyhoo, well, let's just say that someone out there is enjoying snacks, shirts, and games. But I'm not sending him anything else until he confirms the address. Lugu and Tripod will have to wait, but I just hope not too long.

Turns out they have a pizza parlor on base, where you are guaranteed to get food poisoning every time! I guess they're not washing their hands, cleaning the surfaces or keeping foods refrigerated. It's totally gross, and I wonder why it just isn't shut down!
He sent me a photo of this Camel Spider. It's actually a type of scorpion! It looks pretty big. I'd sure hate to come across one of these in the morning. Or have one on me in the middle of the night. Eeeeeek!

I'm listening a lot to Pandora, the music genome project. Have you tried it? It's great. Beats an iTunes any time. Oh, and I ordered the parts for the tail light after I crashed the car. It was only $70. The tailgate can stay banged up because it still works. But I do feel really stupid.

Dancing With Debt - Page 2 - Culture - Blogcritics

I write for BlogCritics. Here's my latest article.

Dancing With Debt - Blogcritics

Shared via AddThis

Iran? Get it??

Wanna understand what's going on in Iran?
Read a brief historical perspective from a blogger at The Australian Observer

Get Lost With Easy-Writer: Life In The Stupid Zone

Click on: Get Lost With Easy-Writer: Life In The Stupid Zone

"I crashed the family car today. Rather, the only car."

Two Stories on Marines

Photo by Don Bartlettti, LA Times

There's a great audio slideshow about Marines being trained using donkeys and mules for use in the high altitudes of Afghanistan. Tony Perry, who covers the military beat for the LA Times, has written an interesting piece on the course on pack animals at the Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center. Most of the Marines have no experience with the animals, and all are taught that mules don't respond to rough words and voices, rather, they are instructed to talk to them like "the woman they love."
Click to see the slideshow, "Packing It In."

Also by Perry is a tragic and disturbing story involving the over zealous recruitment tactics used by some Marine recruiters. In any profession, there are a few who overstep the boundaries of ethical conduct. Sadly, the military is not exempt from this misfortune.

Recently, in Southern California, a high-functioning Autistic man living in a group home was recruited into the Marines. The recruiter not only knew he had Autism, he ignored that the young man had a legal conservator. This means that the young man is not allowed to sign any legal document himself. This includes enlistment papers.

This story has a special pull for me. I have a son who has the same diagnosis. And though he is bright and at times amiable, there is another side, aptly written by the Orange County Mental Health Psychiatrist about and prior to the young man being recruited.

"In 2006, a psychiatrist for the Orange County mental health agency wrote that, although Fry "is high-functioning for a child with autism, he exhibits the typical characteristics of anxiety, impulsive behavior, distractibility, very poor social skills and an inability to read social cues and interact appropriately in social situations."

Anyway, read this important story here.

High functioning autism in itself is not a reason to bar anyone from the military. I'd bet there are already high functioning inviduals on the Autistic spectrum at various levels in the military. They have many strengths. However, when the military is aware of the disorder, Perry reports the recruit is evaluated very closely. Instances such as this (as the state department reports):

"fosters distrust of the military [and] such distrust makes recruiting for all even more difficult."

Indeed, this is what gives fuel to those who disrupt and deface recruitment stations, such as Code Pink in Berkeley. I think there is a need for vigilance even though recruiting is difficult. Secondly, there's the continued need to open up an understanding of autism. In the meanwhile, all parents of Autistic teens need to ensure their adult/child doesn't enter into any legal agreements. Best to get a legal conservatorship so that you have documentation to lean on.

Final word: I wrote Mr. Perry and asked him to send along the name of a Lawyer, Chris McCann who specializes in the representation of adults and teens with special needs who have legal problems. Chris is a principled attorney, has an engaging manner and a sharp wit.

Of equal importance, this could also open discussion about how less than 1% of the nation serves, and our pool of individuals is coming from the same families. Time to expand the pool in ways that address diversity of many types.

An Earful And A Dose Of Medicine

The pharmacist found out my husband is "in the sandbox." I have known her ever since she took over the pharmacy a few months ago. She knows we have Tricare, that my husband is in the service. She thought that his status as a physician would somehow exempt him from going OCONUS.
"No, it's part of the deal," I said.
"There's a movie you need to see. It shows how corporations have lied, and how they are running the war. No one should join the military," she said.
She looks at me, and realizes what she has said. "Oh, but it's too late," she adds.

I told her that for every stereotype of the military I had prior to our going in, each day they are proven wrong. That less than 1% of the nation serves and yet those who are the shrillest critics have never thought of dismantling the line of stereotypes that can force not only the soldiers, but their families, into a dark corner. That quite truthfully, the military has far more discipline and ethics than either the political system or the corporate world, and that they are often forced to walk on a balance beam with people on either side who want to pull them down.

What I didn't tell her is what Emma Skye --a middle east expert who is also a pacifist and happens to be General Raymond Odierno's right hand advisor. She, a pacifist, is a huge fan of our military. Skye has observed the harsh critics, and has said of some: "The American public doesn't deserve the military it has."

The pharmacist: ignorant and guilty of stereotyping as well arrogant not to consider what the opposite side might have to bring to the table. I'm afraid in this case, Emma Skye was right.

Frankly, yes it is too late. My husband has already given compassionate care and insight into the lives of those patients he has served. And I suppose it's too late for me. I freely admit my own stereotypes and prejudices I might have had at another stage in my life were woefully ignorant and wrong.

Get Lost With Easy-Writer: Soldiers On Fourth Of July

Get Lost With Easy-Writer: Soldiers On Fourth Of July

Tripod --the war cat

My husband has this natural thing that makes either cats find him, or he finds cats. It has always been this way. And sure enough, thousands of miles away and in the midst of a war, he has found that his post has adopted a cat.

This is Tripod, the cat that belongs to my husband's unit. Tripod is a minor celebrity. Despite his amputee status, the cat kills mice and rats, which not only keeps storage clear of critters, it also makes it so the cobras don't come looking for them as a food source. I think cats are a very good idea on base. I remember (as an aside) when we had the avocado farm. Had it not been for those cats of ours, we'd have lost a lot more crop due to rats who would grow to be the size of a large avocado! So I think cats can do a lot in controlling the rodent population.

Anyway, Tripod apparently outranks everyone on post. One of the soldiers has his wife send over worming meds and food every month. And guess what? We're sending treats, a toy, and I'd love to send Tripod a kitty castle.

I'm also raising money to send over some Advantage flea medication. If you want to donate --I think the medication is around $60, then contact me.

Quick update

I have finally caught up with sleep, after a rather sleepless few weeks.

Last night, two friends stopped by. I have to say that it's a good time for this. There's an unspoken spaciness that comes with deployment that my friend and author Frank Schaeffer calls, "the twilight zone." So I do appreciate their coming by, and hope others will drop in as well. No need to call. I'm thinking there should always be beer in the fridge, even if I don't drink it myself.

Hubby has arrived at his outpost. It's going to be a busy deployment. We sent boxes over prior to his deployment, but obviously either the insurgents are having a great time with his Wii-Fit and assorted sundries, or they're still on their way. I'm hoping for the later.

I have two book reviews coming up. First let me get this other writing out of the way. They're both heavy-hitting military books, and I have to say, they stress me out. So much so, that I tossed them into the storage space before I left Savannah. Still, it's essential reading for me --given that both my midlife and old life will be spent as part of the military family.

So for the past few days, I've been basking in the happiness of a John Grisham novel. Yes, if ever there were a cure for deployment stress at home, it would be "The Testament." I have always liked him, even if at the beginning his books were hopelessly formulaic. They always involve: a down and out lawyer, the south, bad weather, a crappy car --usually blue, and some unobtainable woman. But frankly, it's times like this that predictability of this sort is good. After all, everything else in my life seems to be hanging by a thread, though even this can be fun at times when I get a good swing and we kick our heels into the air to go higher.