Send Love to Our Troops: Hugs from Home

[AJPratt]

I just wanted to mention this if you didn't already know about it. Hugs from Home is an organization that will connect you will those in the military serving overseas. Its not a dating service, just something that you can use to send your thoughts and your support to our soldiers. While I may not agree with the war, I feel these men and women are still away from their families and could use some contact from home.

You can apply at www.hugsfromhome.org to be a part of it if you would like.

 

[gilliandanielle]

Naughty Anne! I am telling your hubby that you're trying to find a soldier to love, LOL! Just kidding, I just thought it was funny that anyone would think it is a dating service. Thanks for posting the link!

 

[AJPratt]

Who do you think sent me? Dave "I'm not a machine" Pratt! LOL Just kidding, its something my Mom has been doing and I just signed up.

 

[ange13]

The soldiers over there are very grateful to get anything from home. I have a step son who has been there since Thanksgiving, hopefully coming home in Sept. and my son-in-law leaves in August (he hasn't been given much hope of returning--so all prayers are appreciated!)

I try to send my son a package every month and it always includes some lovely junk food!! Nothing makes their day like a bag of skittles or pringles

Thanks for posting this Anne.

 

[karlene]

Ann
thanks for the link...my brother Maj. Mitch Gargac is over in Baghdad right now...he has a wife and 3 little kids in Columbus Ohio. His youngest, Cadence, (cool name for an "ARMY KID" huh?) was born Dec. 29th while he's been in Baghdad. Thanks for everyone supporting our troops
karlene reaser

 

[AJPratt]

Gosh! You guys with family over there! My heart goes out to you!!

I wasn't sure how this thread would be taken since the war is such a heated issue. Glad you like it!

 

[tiffanypc05]

Do any of you know how i could go about finding out if my brother is over there?

We have different fathers and i've only met him a few times. The last time we spoke he was leaving to go into the army. Everytime i try to look for him i just get dead ends. if anyone has any ideas...please share!!!

 

[stephanieboyd]

Thank you all for starting this link!!!!! I live overseas as a military spouse, so I know how important this is!!!

We all have mixed emotions about the war, but the guys and gals serving still need support from home!! The truth is, we don't hear it enough!!!

Tiff----email me privately and I will see what I can do to help you find out.

 

[AJPratt]

Thank you all for starting this link!!!!! I live overseas as a military spouse, so I know how important this is!!!

We all have mixed emotions about the war, but the guys and gals serving still need support from home!! The truth is, we don't hear it enough!!!

COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!

 

[PamperedChefDebi]

I had to reply.... I am currently in Germany and an Air Force spouse. I just retired in Jan from the Air Force after serving 20 years. While the majority of our AF personnel are not serving tours "downrange" as long as the tours the Army personnel are serving, it is never easy for them or the families they have left behind. I know MANY personnel there now. Every Sunday my church does a special tribute/prayer for our members who are there. It especially tugs at my heart when I watch the moms who have to leave their babies to go. I was truly blessed that I never had to go and leave my son. Please know that these troops so appreciate when everyone shows them this support. Especially when even some of us wearing the uniforms don't necessarily agree with all the reasons we are in the places we are. But we love our country and we have made a commitment. My Director's husband just got deployed short notice to support the Lebanese people who are evacuating. He has no idea how long he'll be gone. And this is how we live. Those not associated with the military often have no idea the stresses we can deal with day to day. Imagine you come back from Conference and your husband got deployed while you were gone, found someone to take care of your kids, and you have no idea when he'll be back. And that's the norm! Pretty crazy, huh?

Any support for the military never goes unappreciated. Thank you all!!!

Debi Effatt, TSgt, USAF Retired

 

[stephanieboyd]

Debi,

We are in the same place!!! We probably have some common customers!!! My husband works for HQ, we live north of Sembach. He commutes so we can get a sense of living in the culture without all the other Americans around!!!

My DH has deployed downrange a couple of times since we have been together. In fact, he is supposed to be in the sandbox now. I am thrilled that he didn't have to go on this one, but he is the kind of guy who is doing everything he can to find a way to go!!! He already has the OEF medal and wants the OIF too.

That is such an accurate portrayal of our normal lives. I joined the Key Spouses group for his unit to be able to help the other spouses when they go through this type of scenario. I have vowed to stay put if my DH goes while we are over here!! I know I will be needing all the hugs I can muster from here if that happens.

But as we say, that's the job we signed up for!!!

 

[PamperedChefDebi]

Stephanie,

Yes, we probably do! Do you have a director here or one you use for hospitality?

So, I'm guessing you live somewhere between Otterberg and Winnweiler. Am I close? We just moved on base and actually got very lucky and got one of the new townhouses on Vogelweh. (For those reading who wouldn't know, until a few months ago all the on base housing in Germany was 3 - 4 floor apartments buildings with anywhere from 12 - 24 families per building.)

My husband is in the 723rd (AMC squadron) and I worked on Vogelweh across from the K-town schools (in the fenced in compound).

I know many people like your husband who seem eager to go and I thank God for them! I think people with that attitude are so encouraging though I'm sure it can be very hard for you. Hang in there but be proud of your husband!

 

[stephanieboyd]

I am actually in Munchweiler a.d Alsenz right by Winnweiler!! (Winnweiler is where Bischoff brewery is located)

I don't have a hospitality here or a director back home either!! I have only met my director once and spoken to her once after I moved here.

We thought about getting on the list to try for one of those townhomes, but knew our luck would land us on Sembach or something!! It just wouldn't be a step up for us!!

I need to head for bed for tonight, we have a big poker party tomorrow at our house. It's nice to chat with someone else here in the area!!!!

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

I was the talk of my cluster on the way home from Conference......Hi all,
I agree with Annie, I don't care whether you support the war, but you've got to support the soldiers, they are after all doing their job. Sometimes in our everyday jobs we don't agree with the bosses but we do our job.

I was the talk of my cluster on the way home of the plane from Chicago to Syracuse, I sat next to a very nice gentleman and he was very nice looking also. We started talking and we NEVER stopped the entire way home.

I found out he's a soldier going back to base after seeing his family in Chicago before he's shipped out again to Iraq.

My family has been in military for generations and I've got cousins and other family and friends stationed all over the globe.

I told him how my family sent to my cousin Davy and his bat. when they were in Afganistan. Dan laughed and said, "Wow what does it take to become part of your family to get boxes like that?"

Well I said, give me your address and I'll send your info along to family. He just looked at me like I was crazy, and I said, I'm not joking. So he gave me his info. It was fate to me that we sat together, as he was assigned another seat and they had booked 3 people for that seat and the person who had the one next to me didn't board, so he sat with me.

As we were landing and I was asking him about getting back to Fort Drum, and he said, well he didn't have a ride, he was hoping that another guy would be heading that way and he was going to hang around baggage claim and hope to get a ride at least close to base.

We both said how fate had brought us together and he said, once he's back stateside he wants more info. about PC, products at least, he said he's not sure he's the kind to do shows, but he's interested in some of the products.

Well as we were leaving baggage area, I saw him standing there with another soldier and I motioned to him to make sure he had a ride as we were heading out (in the opposite direction) and he gave me the thumbs up and smiled and made motion of writing, so all the girls were like OOOH Bill better look out, Lisa's going after a guy in uniform. I was like, nope, but I think I made a new friend for life.

I even made cards (stamped) and send all variety of cards and envelopes to cousin so he could share so soldiers could send "nice" personal cards home to their loved ones. I helped make 144 Christmas cards that we sent to My cousins Bat. in Afghan. in Oct/Nov so they would get them and have time to send them back home. I was so cool listening to what Davy said about these guys who appreciated it so much. My kids love to send pictures to the soldiers.

So I've got My Airplane Buddy Dan's address and email and he's to be shipped out next week, so I'm just waiting for his APO address to get things out to him.

God Bless everyone who helps support these men and women!!

Lisa

 

[AJPratt]

While I love how this thread has taken off, have to say that I loved your post, Lisa! I always wind up next to someone and have to wonder why they are next to me! I do it everywhere. I'm a nut like that. I signed up for three names, I would like to do more, but three for now is good. My Mom was like three? She only has one, but I just feel that it is my responsibility as a citizen to help do whatever I can. Its someone's mother, father, brother, sister, friend, you get the idea~!

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

I was just thinking about this today. My husband has been at church camp for two weeks and I have had to be the one to deal with car troubles, financial stuff, and pretty much having myself a pity party. It hit me today that there are women that have to deal with that kind of stuff every day for months on end while also dealing with the stress that their spouse is in harms way. Who am I to whine and complain?

I just signed up for one serviceperson. We just started sponsoring a little boy from Ethiopia so don't want to commit to too much too soon. I want my children to be involved too. It's an important lesson to teach our children....compassion for others.

 

[AJPratt]

Lisa: That's wonderful!

For me, going to conference was inspiring. I saw cancer survivors, people in wheelchairs, people with missing limbs, all successful consultants, being honored for promoting and TPC. They already have so much to overcome and they certainly did MUCH better than I did! Not that I'm all that great but, it gave me a wake up call and it made me think "And I have what exactly to complain about?"

 

[AJPratt]

Sonia Emerick pops up. You just have to clear your cookies and temporary internet files.

 

[ange13]

Lisa,

My daughter and her hubby are stationed at Fort Drum. He is heading out in August. Her friend's hubby just got home last weekend.

she also sells PC. Although most of her stuff is in Arizona still (long story)! Do you go to meetings and where are they? I was going to try to find hospitality for her if i could. I think that would help motivate her and also give her some more companionship while he is away.

I wonder if this Dan guy is in the same unit? Wouldn't that be weird??

 

[PamperedChefDebi]

I just gotta say, I am loving this post! You are all so awesome!!!

Lisa, you know it was no coincidence that you two ended up sitting together. There simply is no such thing as coincidence. You probably blessed that soldier in ways he still doesn't even begin to realize!

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

Ange,
I'm heading out first thing this morning and getting some "mommy time", lol and am stamping some Christmas cards, yep, signed up for a Christmas in July Camp, so I'll come home today with 10 new cards and ideas to get going.
Then while I'm out, using that alone time to make LOTS of calls and hoping to cconnect with people I've been missing during the week and then heading to BBinghamton to get my groceries for my show tomorrow afternoon, which will hhopefully push me over the $1250.00 mark.

We live almost 2 1/2 hours from Ft. Drum, my director is AWESOME and lives in Berkshire NY and I know would help, but I'll contact her (she's away for her "real" goverment job until Monday) and ask if she can refer me to someone closer to Drum for your daughter. I'd love to email/phone her and offer my support/help is she wants it.

What's your daughter's name and do they have children?? How far away are you?? If she needs anything, she's got a family near the Binghamton NY/PA line!!! I'd love to email/phone her and offer my support/help is she wants it, for PC or anything.

As my kids call him, "Mommy's soldier Dan", lol, poor guy. Dan is in the
2nd BDE/10th Mtn Division - Bravo Co

What's really funny, is that's the same division my cousin was in when he was stationed at Fort Drum. And we were also talking on the plane, that Fort Drum was the base that helped my cousin to make a decision to leave the Army, even though he had 12 years in, he just couldn't take it anymore.

Anyway, I think it's so awesome that we cheffers are going to support soldiers.

I know what someone else said in the earlier post about dealing with broken cars, etc. without hubby being around. My hubby works for local phone co and with all this flooding, etc. he's been gone more than home, but just when we thought it was calming down, this week he's been gone more than home and BOTH of our cars bit the dust again, the one we had taken to shop and the other (My hubby's car) that I had to drive and he's driving his parents spare, well I got girls home from summer school activity and the car literally died in driveway. So I did call him at work to ask who or what I should do and he's been working until late, coming home in dark and trying to work on car, and finally last night said, well he can't get it, and then had to go back into work.

So I called a good friend of the family, who's a mechanic and told him what was wrong and I knew he had to work today (sat.) before 6 am, so here I am calling him at 9 pm last night (Friday), well he called me back around 10 p.m. and said he'd be down in a few to look at it. Well it was almost 11:30 p,m. before he got the car working, but Praise God he did.

If we couldn't get car fixed today, then I couldn't do the camp and other errands I need to do, without having to inconvenience my mil, so I was thrilled.

I told Dave last night, I'll make you a TRIPLE batch of no bake cookies (which I know are his favorite) and I also will send him a note with some $ in it, as he wouldn't take anything from me last night. But I know he was exhausted, but he came to help anyway!!


I Praise God for good friends and family who are willing to help and to get back to topic of soldiers, they are everyone's family!! Whether it's by blood or just of the heart and soul, or that's the way I was raised and that's how I feel.

Our family reunion is next weekend and I know if Keith were stationed at Drum, he'd be there with about 4 other guys who would have crammed into his car to make the drive to just get some "normal" family time, not that my family is normal by any means, lol.

Hugs to all,

Lisa