Hug a Vet Today!

Starring: phsbum.mindsay.com, bigbro18, #1pup, and of course, velvetdreams.

The b-day girl and bf arrived in style (in my old '81 LeManns) and the evening was begun!  The fire was quickly lit and food put on to sizzle, the tempting tendrels of smoke wafting skyward.   It really didn't take long for the food to cook, but in the meantime, our Home was filled with the chatter of Family catching up on the details of everyday life.  The bf is convinced that I do not approve of him, but that is not the case.  I suppose any of you who are the parent of an adult child can understand my position ... He is a nice enough boy, but  ... yup, but ... he only has a high school  education, with very little ambition and no goals to speak of.  Likewise, #1pup is similarly unmotivated ... not particularly a good match, in my humble opinion, yet ... It is their decision.  Still ... I am a Mom, and one who knows the ugliness of choosing the wrong man, desperately wanting her not to make the same mistake.  (There's plenty of NEW mistakes for her to make, no need to repeat mine.) 

The meal was served, the chatter continued, punctuated with laughs and even a few playful screams.  The plates were cleared, and the suspense grew as the birthday girl was suddenly piled with small tokens of our affection.  Again laughter and playful banter continued as she opened the gifts.  (At this point, all were seated on the front porch with only the glowing embers and the overhead porch light over us.  Suddenly, the porch light was squelched and a silhouette appeared in the doorway with a tray alit with "22", and an updated refrain of "Happy Birthday"  weakly, but it was heard and followed by much chuckling!

Well ... so the evening continiued with a few more hours of laughter and affectionate chatter, a few wine coolers (only for the birthday girl-now22, her bf and moi) until finally ... #1pup & bf made their excuses and hugs and left. end of a lovely day

I managed about 2 hours of sleep before rising to dutifully return to the grind!  end of Saturday and the beginning of Sunday ... a relaxing day at home ... well, except for the  3 hour drive with the top down "doing my job!"  (One of our favorite things in spite of gasoline prices, is to ride around the area, looking for *FSBO's and always alert to the local housing market.)  We wondered near a local Blockbuster asnd decided on a whim (silently thankful to have cash in my pocket to do such things - having gone many, many years without such "extra's"  to rent a couple DVD's.  phsbum's choice: The Glass House;  Mom's choice: A Wrinkle in Time (Don't know anything about the movie, but loved the book!)  A movie night followed ... complete with popcorn and 3 pets in my bed!

Now if it seems, phsbum and I are close, well ... we are!  We spend a great deal of time alone together ... #1pup lives with bf (not my choice, but ... she's an adult!), bigbro18 ... well, he's 18!!!  He is always on the go, man about town, a good kid, but not around much.  Between work and friends ... no steady gf yet, but that's OK by me!    he is not home much.  (Neither was I at that age!)

That brings me to Monday morning, I believe.  I am a Vet.  I never saw combat, thank God, but I was in at the tail end of Viet Nam and saw many of my friends and comrades perish & change.  I fear for our military today.  I fear many will feel much the same things we felt then ... In an idealistic rejection of "the war but not those fighting it," there is great danger of sowing the same humiliation, rage, and hatred we faced during the 70's.  It's easy to talk about separating the people from the war, but ... not as easy to do.  I'm not talking about the right or wrongs of the war.  Too late for that.  We're there, our men and women are paying the price as are their families.  Just think, please, if your brother, sister, mother, father other ... was slain there  (heaven forbid).  How would you feel amid a roomful of people condemning the war?  I would just as soon there be no need for war, ever, but alas ... there are bullies here and abroad; there are injustices, here and abroad; and are we our "brother's" keeper?   That's a question for "think tanks", but as reality plays out, if we are NOT, the boat will sink much more quickly than if we somehow try to help one another ... ?  Yes, intentions count.   We need to honor our Vets, on every front. They must know experiencially our support. That cannot be turned on and off. On that note ... *throwing kisses & taking bows* our drama comes to a close for today.  Thank You & goodnight one and all.