Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Homes by Holmes we are not..

  I love the show Homes by Holmes.  I could watch him rip rooms down, and build them back up again, all day long.  And have.  When I take on a home project, I try to remember the things he has said.  How things should come together, and how to make sure the work area is safe.  My mother is right along side me as I rip things down and rebuild them again.  

  At any given time, one if not both of us would say "Holmes said" or "Holmes would say".  It makes us laugh every time.  My sweety will tell you, I tune in and search for Holmes daily, and 9 times out of 10; my television will bounce from HGTV to what ever good show is on,  hourly.

   I have found some very useful ideas, and came up with some pretty good home projects.  My back porch is the current project.  We have lived in this house for 2 months now.  When we moved in, out side of the painting and indoor make overs; I wanted to extend the back porch sitting area and make it more welcoming.


  This was the back porch  seating area when we moved onto the property.  Not enough room for my taste.  I wanted my glass table and chairs, plus my rocking chairs and plants to all occupy the area and, for it to scream relaxation.  This space was not it.  So, I came up with the plan to extend the porch seating area into the current storage/animal area and my sweety agreed.


Just close your eyes, and I am there...

 Every one has something that makes them happy.  No matter what it maybe, there are times when turning to just that right thing, we somehow feel better.  For example, after a hot long day of outdoor work; a cold dish of ice cream does the trick for me.  On other days, when I am missing my children and grand children.. I like thumbing through happy photos.  

Happy Days are here again....

My  precious grand daughter Arianna...

Friday, May 18, 2012

My reuse of Kestrel Closet doors..


 A while back, like a few short months ago, my mother and I were coming home from the local grocery store, when I spotted a treasure on the side of the road.

My mother and I joke about how I had become my grand mothers second husband, Henry, because he use to stop on the side of the road and pick up treasures as well.  His treasures were cans though, my treasure was not.

What to do with these....

My mother asked what I was going to do with my new found treasure as there are two sets of them, and I had no idea at the time.  Something inside of me said "STOP.  Pick that up, it is going to come in handy one day."

With my OCD, I find myself disliking the strangest things.  I didn't like the bathroom windows, oddly enough, so we took one panel of these Kestrel Style Closet Doors and covered the bathroom windows.  First of all, the hall bathroom window faced the back porch.  Curtins would have been crazy in a bathroom window that is close to the shower area. Covering them ith these wooden shutters type of doors, would be perfect.

Perfect window covering
 The other half of the Kestrel Style Closet door, we covered the window in the master bathroom.  Something about having my back to the window, didn't settle quite right with me.  My sweety thought I was out of my mind, but he went along with my plans regardless.  Isn't he great!!

Another Perfect it.
I am working on that shelf above the window covering.  Who in their right mind would put a shelf way up there anyway?  Geez!!

I was left this one full Kestrel Style Closet Door and one single Kestrel panel.  What to do with them.  They sat in the storage area for quite a while.  I tossed around making shelves out of them.  Making an end table of some sort.  I knew there was a lot of work to do in the master bedroom, painting, new blinds, new carpet.  But, I also knew it would when the time was right, what to do with the Kestrel Style Closet Doors would hit me.  So, the master bedroom work began.

Walls had to be painted and sealed before the carpet arrived..
Walls painted, carpet removed, and floors sealed..
Once the Master Bedroom was fully painted, the floors sealed {OCD problem, I had to seal the floors with something to keep any smell or anything from getting through the carpet}  KILC Pro V worked wonderfully.  Obsessively I used a whole 5 gallon in just the master bedroom, en suite, and closet.  It was well worth my peace of mind.

Master Bedroom Decor'
Mind you.. the room has been painted and sealed, plus the new carpets were put in along time ago.  I still had no idea what to do with the Kestrel Style Closet Doors.  Than, one night it hit me.  My sweety and I did not have a head board, we don't have a foot board either, and using the Kestrel doors would work perfectly. 

Purchasing something because you feel you need it, isn't a bad thing, I just like to wait until something 'speaks' to me.  It has to jump out and grab me in order for me to purchase it.  When my mother and I cut the doors, and placed them in the room, I knew right away, it was the perfect head board.  The dark brown adds the perfect strong contrast to the wall and brings out the dark strips of brown on the bed linen.  Using lighter end tables beside the bed, brings out the lighter colors in the bed and carpet.  allowing the room to flow through to the closet, and en suite.



 I'm not done with my Kestrel Doors.  I am going to pick up some 'S' hooks, attach ribbon to some vintage frames, and hang photos on my home made head board.  The photos will be colorful, adding a splash of color throughout the room.  I'll have to post another group of photos, when it is completely finished. 

So, what do you think?




Thursday, May 17, 2012

Take a stand against Fear.


Child hit with stray bullet in Fla on  Jan 2nd, 2012
   When I was growing up in New York, it wasn't unheard of for some one in our building to get on to a child they witnessed doing something wrong.   It was normal for neighbors to know the name of the children in the neighborhood.  For mothers and fathers to gather together on the weekends and have a block party, connecting your child's friends with their parents.  When we moved to Florida as a family, my parents knew my friends, and my friends parents.  Not one of us 5 children, went to someone's house if my parents did not know the parents of my friends.   Phone numbers were exchanged.  Home locations were known.  Involvement and interactions in school, and with teachers were not uncommon.  So what happened?  Why have things changed?

17 yr old Boris Cikovic from Toronto was killed in robbery Oct 13, 2011
 Quote taken from Toronto News web site regarding a student who was with the shooters..

"Four days later, an emotional Araya told his Grade 12 English teacher at Silverthorn Collegiate, Cordell Brown, that he was in a serious bind, Travers alleged.
Araya told Brown he was at the Buttonwood Park shooting, but he had not fired a gun.
“Mr. Araya told him that he and his group had discussed what they should do and that he had said ‘no,’ but they did it,” Travers said.
Araya wanted advice from his teacher about what he should do and Brown told him he had no choice but to go to the authorities, Travers added."

"Travers and fellow prosecutor Sarah Leece do not allege he is the shooter, but that he was one of the four robbers, and thus a party to murder.  A party to a murder is just as guilty of the offense as the person who actually fires the fatal shot,” Travers said.

   I hear often "Times aren't the same now as they were back than".  "People are different now than they were back then".  Has the interference of today, effected how we raise our children tomorrow?  When we were growing up, respect was instilled into each one of us.  Not one of us would ever think of yelling at our parents.   Not one of us would roll our eyes, or talk back, or even use a curse word.  Such behavior was not tolerated  in our household, and not for just for the 5 of my parents children; but for anyone who entered my parents home.  RESPECT, a simple word that carries us, for a lifetime.

    Get involved.  Show your children that unacceptable behavior will not be allowed.  Get back to the basics of life and live by the values you were taught.  Stand your ground.

    Last night I was watching 48 hours, and there was a 17 year old boy who was shot in the head and killed.  The mother of the young boy was beside herself with grief, understandably, and my heart broke for her lost.  Her young son lying in the street, a life taken to soon, and a families hopes and dreams shattered in a single night.  While the investigators were questioning the 17 yr old's mother, I was shocked to hear her response to their questions "Who was with your son tonight?"  "I don't know" she cried   "Where was he going so far from home?" she was asked "I don't know, he has so many friends." she replied  "Why would he be wearing surgical gloves?" another question came "I don't know." again she cried   I was shocked.  YOU DON'T KNOW, was all I could shout at the television.  You don't know????

   What happened to the 17 yr old boy you ask... Well, he called his friend, another 17 yr old boy, and told his friend he planned a robbery for them both to do together.  Now, lets stop right there.. why didn't the parents of this 17 yr old boy not question where he was going and stop him from going out late at night is far beyond me. The two boys, with gloves on that the second 17 yr old brought with him, pretended to shop at a street vendors spot.  When the Street vendor was loading his truck with his merchandize to leave, the first 17 yr old pulled a gun and yelled for the other people shopping to run or the two 17 yr old's will start shooting.    The vendor and the first 17 yr old boy fought over control of the gun, the gun was dropped and the 17 yr old started beating up the vendor, another child shopping with his friends picked up the gun and shot fearing the vendor will be beaten to death.  This single shot hit the first 17 yr old in the head, while his 17 yr old friend ran.   Sad right?  A life taken, before it had even begun.  The end of this child's life, brings the end of his 17 yr old friends life as well.  The robbery, a felony, caused the life of one child and even though the 17 yr old friend did not have a gun and never handled the gun, he was charged with the death of his 17 yr old friend, because the planned felony, of both boys,  resulted in death.  One 17 yr old boys life ends in death, and the other 17 yr old boys life ends with a charge of murder and life in jail.

I couldn't help but think back to the day when my children would hang out with friends at the mall.  I would tell them "behave yourselves, be mindful of what is around you and what your friends are doing.  Their actions will reflect on you simply by association."  My children would reply with the "Come on mom, we will be fine."  But, I always added "Hear what I am telling you, if you are with your friends and they shop lift from a store, you are guilty as well because you are with them.  Remember that.  Pick your friends carefully.
Watch your friends carefully.  Lease you find yourself in the middle of a mess you had nothing to do with."

Now I am not saying my children were perfect.  Far from it.  Lines drawn were pushed.  Nights sleeping on the sofa was an often in my home, just to keep anyone from sneaking out.  Tape and alarms were added to windows as well as, bells were added to doors to ensure my children remained in door when I turned in for the night.  I knew parents & teachers, plus went to plenty of school events to make myself known.  Everyone; teachers, students and parents alike knew who I was, knew what I drove, and knew where I lived.  It still didn't stop my children from going through their teenage years, but I can tell you this.. when they did something, I knew about it.  9 times out of 10; I knew before they came home from school and right when they committed an unacceptable act.  I invoked my right to be informed.  To take control, and not let FEAR control me.

Bob and Nancy Strait attacked in their home 03/14/2012
Quote taken from political forum website...  "Bob and Nancy Strait fell in love after World War II and had been married more than 65 years."  "TULSA, Oklahoma - Family members of Bob and Nancy Strait, the elderly couple attacked in their home one month ago, say they are still heartbroken.
The motive was robbery but 85-year-old Nancy was raped and beaten to death. Ninety-year-old Bob was beaten and shot with a BB gun. It has affected a lot of people in our community. 
 

Andra says her daughter and her sister are having nightmares and she's not sleeping. She always understood crime could happen to her family but now that it has, it changes things.

Andra no longer takes her morning walks and she has a new alarm system on the house. They just can't understand why a robbery turned so vicious.

"If they were there to steal, they could've put them in the bathroom and shut the door. No one would've heard them," Andra said. "Daddy couldn't hear, mama couldn't see. It was pure meanness. The people who did this are just evil, wicked."


Andra and the rest of the family think of Nancy all the time. Her granddaughter got her school pictures recently and Andra thought, mom will want to see these, before the realization hit."


I don't think times have changed that much.  I don't think people are any different now than before.  What I do think is, that we have let FEAR take control.   Children are running the streets, beating up and bulling the older and younger alike.  Children are following in the footsteps of their parents and violence has become their second nature.  Families have become so engrossed in working, that all to often their children are left to raise themselves.  You CAN'T take it with you when you die, all the green in the world wont bring you back when your gone.  Sure, you leave your children a nest egg, but they can't take it with them if they are killed in a robbery.  It does them no good if they are spending life behind bars.  What they can take with them is Morals.  Values.  Respect.  That is the greatest gift you can leave your children.  The legacy of how to be HUMAN.

 I don't mean to rant.  But, turn on the news and open your ears, heart and mind to what is going on today.  Children are being killed in drive by shootings, and FEAR is keeping people from turning these shooters in.  Children are being shot miles away because someone decides to shoots in the air, FEAR prevents them from coming forward and being responsible, or prevents someone from turning them in  Come on, face the pain you have cause another family.  Our elderly are being targeted; beaten, raped and killed... yet neighbors see nothing, hear nothing; FEAR preventing them from coming forward or from evening forming a relationship with their neighbors.  GET INVOLVED.

US army Soldier beaten as he walks home 5/13/2012

Video of an US Army Soldier beaten in Tampa Florida.  This 24 yr old soldier was walking home after his car broke down.  Sad to think you can't even walk the streets to  get to your own home.  Video from Youtube.


The only thing to fear, is fear itself.  If you let fear control you, the people committing these crimes will control you as well.  Take a Stand Against Fear.  Take your neighborhood back.  Take your child's school back.  Take the playground back.  Take a stand against fear and, make the place where YOU and YOUR family live safe.

 Let me tell you something.  If a car pull into the front of one of my neighbors houses that I haven't seen before, you can count on me calling them and making them aware of it.  If someone pull into any of their yards and mingles, you better believe I am calling their cell phones with one hand and getting ready to dial 911 with the other.  Banding together is what it is all about.  Know who is around you and take a stand against fear and the scum/thugs who are thriving off of your fear.  Don't you think we have seen enough crime?  Don't you think it is time to take back our streets?  Don't you think it is about time to stand up against fear?











Monday, May 14, 2012

A Pallet and a Table


   A while back I asked my sweety to tell his brother to bring me pallets.  I didn't care how big or small.  If the wood looked dated or beat up.  I just wanted pallets.
 
   Well my sweeties brother, George, came through for me.  With the pallets George has brought me I was able to design a spice rack for my mother.  My sweety put the spice rack together, I just showed him what I envisioned, and he brought it to life.  

   The past two times George has brought me pallets, they have been the cream of the crop.  With one of the pallets, I set it on black plastic saw horses to keep the tulips out of Thorns grasp.

Tulip Saver
   The idea worked because Thorn wasn't able to remove the bulbs from the pots.  But it didn't save the tulips.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to grow tulips?  Come to find out, if the bulbs retain to much water, they rot and die.  Even when the soil was dry the bulb still held water, as it turned out they held to much water; and I killed them.  Lesson learned for next year. 

   Every time I look at this pallet though, I see a swing hanging on my porch.  Not a human swing, but a plant swing.  I am going to cut this pallet in half and make a plant swing.  I can not wait to share this design with my sweety, and watch him make it. 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Yard sale item turned Home Project


 I love going to yard sales.  When ever my sweety and I get the chance, we stop at a few and pick through the treasures.  Look at what we found at a yard sale close to our house...

Hanging Pot Rack
 This Hanging Pot Rack was only $10, and is in super condition.  Now, my living room, kitchen, and dining room is an open floor plan.  I have always wanted a Hanging Pot Rack, but I wouldn't dream of interrupting the flow of the space. 




 Just look at the design and scrolling of the metal.  It is the prettiest thing ever.  It just so happens that the seller, had no idea this was a Pot Rack; otherwise I am sure it would have been more.  I am going to put potted plants in it, Ivy and vines, than hang it in my extended porch area.  Right in front of my computer room windows. 






My Mothers Day Venture...


 Mothers day is a celebration to moms every where.  Today I had the best Mothers day ever.  I received messages from my daughters and a Mothers Day phone call from my son.   Although I had the greatest time today; hearing from my three children, and their spouses, was the greatest gift a mother could ever receive.   I would like to honor them for a moment, and share with you what this mother told to her three wonderful daughters...




 To My Daughter Tabitha...

 Happy Mothers Day Love.  I couldn't be more proud to be your mother  You have been my rock for so long. I have taken great joy watching you turn into the woman I always wanted to be.  I love you more than words can ever express.  Enjoy your Mothers Day, it was made for mothers like you.  I love you so so much.













To my Daughter Ashley....

 Happy Mothers Day Sweety.  I am so proud of who you are.  Watching you grow from my little girl, into the woman you are today, is the greatest gift a mother could ask for.  I love you so much baby.  Have a wonderful Mothers day!!







To my Daughter in Law Jamie...

 Happy Mothers Day Sweety.  I couldn't have found a better wife for my son, a better Mother for my grand daughter, a better daughter in law for myself.  I am so so happy you found my son.  Though the miles between us is great, I carry you close to my heart always.  I am so honored to know you and have you apart of our family.  I love you so much.  Enjoy your Mothers Day.










  Today I spent Mothers Day morning with the McLaughlin Family.  My sweety and I met this family for breakfast in Valrico at Ben's Family Restaurant.  Yummy!! I had the Egg 4 combo, that's two eggs over medium, 2 sausage links, and 2 bacon slices.  I added a bagel toasted on the grill with cream cheese.  Heaven is all I can say, Heaven. 

This is Ben's
 Almost everyone was there, I really missed seeing Donnie and her family.  Hope you feel better soon Donnie.  The food was out of this world good.  Next time, I think I'm going to try the dish George ordered... it looked yummy for the tummy...

Doesn't this look good????

 I always have a good time when I am around my sweeties family.  Every one is so relaxed and down to earth.  I simply can not wait until the next family gathering.

My Mothers Day afternoon was spent with my mother and brothers.   Friday my sweety called my brother Mark and they planned a Mothers Day dinner for our mother.  Outback Steak House in Fish Hawk.  My brothers Mark and Fred took my mother to this very Outback Restaurant last year, and she was worried she wouldn't get the chance to go this year.  The plan was to meet at my mother house at 4pm.  We arrived at 4:17pm, so hard to be on time for so many things. 

Fishhawk Osprey Fountain
 Fishhawk is such a pretty area.  On the way to Outback Steakhouse, we passed by this fountain.  Once we arrived at Outback, we were given one of their beeper things and waited outside.  The wait wasn't very long though, and the five of us were seated at a booth.

Outback
 I hadn't sunk my teeth into a Blooming Onion in a long time, it was to die for.  What took me so long!!  The steak was as tender as ever, it just melted in my mouth.

To To Good....
Yes... this was a great Mothers Day.  There is nothing like spending time with family.  It was great to have dinner and spend Mothers Day hanging out with my brothers and mother.  This is what family is all about.  I really missed my sister Mary Ann though.  The family wasn't complete, but I was able to talk to my sister this morning and share in her Mothers Day joy.  Yep, life is good... and I couldn't have asked for a better day!! 

I hope your Mothers Day was just as wonderful.  Happy Mothers Day!!!








The Dancing Chickens...


What a pretty day....

 Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, I've got a funny feeling; things won't be going my way...

  When we moved into our new place the one thing I fell in love with, outside of having enough space for visiting children and grand children, was our back porch.  Thrown together with 2x4s and a tin roof, I was taken back to that old country porch feel.  Enjoying coffee in our white rocking chairs, great conversations with my sweety, and a spring breeze blowing through my hair.  The porch needed work, at the time I had two functioning wrists and, wasn't afraid to get my hands dirty.  I was more than up for the challenge.  The vision of what it could be was already dancing in my head. 

  One of the first things that needed to be fixed on the porch was, all the screens needed to either be pulled tighter or, replaced.  I really wanted to remove the old strips holding the screens down, it gave the porch the rugged feel.  The feel I loved on older porches. Then pulling or replacing the screens would come next, and the last step would be putting the old wood strips back in place.  This was going to be the easiest and best project yet.  I could not wait to begin.

 My mother and I picked a day, and started early in the morning; before the heat would slow us down, and before the outside dogs would invade the porch space.  This was the other reason for fixing the porch screens; I could not wait to enjoy the space without having the space taken over by fur.   Our outside dogs think they are lap dogs.  Just once we wanted to enjoy the outdoor area fur free and without a dog fighting for lap space.

Thorn ~ Fur dog 1
 Thorn can have a single person covered in his fur coat in a matter of seconds.  Not only will his fur cling onto you, but the porch floor instantly has a fur rug.  I could brush his coat for hours, and still not remove all the loose hair. He has a one track mind, and pushes your hand and arm until you are petting his head and back.  It is an endless nudge too.  I think he needs to be shaved, but my sweety gives me that look when I bring it up.  You know, the one that will let a person know they are out of their mind.  Yeah, that look.

Tesla ~ Wanta be Lap Dog

Tesla is a bull.  Really.  Doesn't matter what you do to keep him out of an area; he uses that block head of his and, bulldozes his way right though what ever you put up.   This dog doesn't take NO too kindly.  At all.  When on the porch, he tries with all his might, to jump right onto your lap.  He makes it onto my sweeties lap all the time.  I stand up when he tries it with me, and then hope he doesn't knock me over. 

On this day, my mother and I were going to make our porch, a human space only.  I was so excited, and could not wait for my sweety to get home from work and see the finished product.  

My mother and our porch fencing..
It was a job to remove the wood strips, pull the screen and tack it in place.  I don't think it would have been so hard, if I had the use of my right hand.  See, I was still in a cast during this project and my mother can only lift one of her arms fully.  Together, we make a whole person.  On this day though, we needed two whole people.  What we should have done, had we been thinking straight, was leave the fencing as one whole piece.  Covering the space from one end to the other.  Instead what we did, was cut the wire to fit each area along side that section of the porch.  Giving us three wire pieces, instead of one long piece.  Oh Vay!!!

Our lack of thinking, lengthened the project into the hot afternoon hours.  Plus we were tired and sore when it was finished.  But, oh it was so worth the pain.

Completed...



 It is in this area that, Torn would climb through the center section, where the screen was broken; and unleash his wild fur strays.  Fixing the screen alone, wouldn't have stopped his one track mind, we knew the half wire fence would be the only way to keep him out.  So far it has worked.  We out smarted Thorn.  So far that is.

Once we saw that the screen and wire worked no matter how much Thorn paced in front of the area, he didn't even try to make his way onto the porch, bringing the screen and wire in side was going to work as well.  That is just what we did.

My back porch is very long, just shy the length of the house.  The previous tenants shortened the screen porch area to less than half of the whole porch, and used the longer area to house their animal farm.  There were squirrels and snakes on the longer end of the porch.  That area of the porch was a huge mess that I was cleaning out and tearing down home made cages.  Oh my word, that was hard work in itself.  They must have used 10 boxes of nails, screws, and staples to put those wood cages together!!

On the porch...
 In order to complete the endless fur dog and lap dog off our porch project, we would have to add wire to the area that joined the human side of the porch from the, animal farm side of the porch.  The previous tenants made an entrance way to the farm side, from inside the human side, and another entrance onto the animal farm side, from the back yard. When they moved off the property; they took the doors from both areas with them.  Don't ask why, because to me it was a mindless move, and they were without any signs of owning a mind what so ever.  You can see from the above picture where I  have placed a pallet between the opening of the human side, and the animal farm side.  Doing this would allow the dogs to still enjoy the shade on the animal farm side of the porch, without gaining access to the human side of the porch.

Facing the Animal Farm ...
 Both sides of the entrance is now covered with screens and wires, and the pallet acts as a temporary door way.  I have a cinder block holding the pallet firmly in place.  From this picture, you can see my mother and I have removed the animal farm cages and have the space almost cleared out.  Once my right wrist heals more, I am going to move this makeshift entrance way down further, add a screen door to better access the smaller area, which is going to house our tools and whatnots.  Then a door will be placed on the entrance way that enters from the back yard.  You can see the entrance way in the picture, behind the pallet and to the right. 

 Not only did my mother and I fix all the broken screens and add the wire to keep the dogs off the porch, we enjoyed the fruit of our labor, when it was all complete, pet free.  Oh what a wonderful feeling!!!  Even the screen door was fixed, and we added an inner border to keep the dogs from going through the screen door.  We knew it would only be a matter of time before Tesla would use that block head of his and, make his way onto the human side of the porch.  There were high hopes, when we slid in the inner boarder.

Bottom half of Screen Door

That thought lasted about 9 days.  Just yesterday when the AC man came out to the house,  that will be another blog, I put Tesla and Baby on the human porch in hopes to keep them from escaping out of the yard while the gate remained open for our AC repairs.  While standing in the front yard with the AC repair guy, I noticed Baby walking toward us from the side of the house.  The only animal who could have gotten through the boarder and screen, would have been Tesla and his Block head.  He had pushed his way right through the screen door and hid under the house for hours.  

Closer view of Block Heads damage
 Do you remember the movie The Shining?  The part when the door is axed and the actor says "Here's Johnny".... well that was me for an hour.  OK, maybe not an hour, it was more like... the whole day. My sweety suggested adding the electric fencing to the porch area, to not only keep the dogs from digging in the dirt and gaining access to under the porch, but also an extra barrier to keep them off of the porch.  I replied "Great, just GREAT!!! now we will be Dancing Chickens!!!"  To say the least, I was not happy about the damage Tesla has done and, how it opened a passage for the Fur dog to access the porch, and Baby as well.

   


May is Family and Spouse Military Appreciation...

   The other day while at my mothers house, going through paperwork in the room I called home, I came across a letter that was sent to me.  A letter I hold close to my heart.  A letter from our commander in chief, The President Of the United Stated of America. 

   I didn't receive the letter for some act of great heroism.  I didn't solve world peace.  Or bring an end to world starvation.  What I did do, was rely to questions on Health Care.  I gave my honest personal opinion.  It is a letter I will display in my home proudly.

   Finding the letter I realized that May is the month of Military family and Military Spouse Appreciation.  The Silent Ranks are recognized for their contributions to the United Stated Military Branches.  I joined the Silent Ranks in 2008, when my son became an Enlisted Military Service Member.  I was proud, and scared.  Worried, and happy.  I had not idea what we were in for, and I wouldn't change one second of it.  


    May 8th was Military Family Appreciation Day.. I would like to recognize my family for their Silent Rank Enlistment...

Me.. Proud Military Mom ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2008

My daughter Tabitha, Proud Military Sister,  and her family ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2008

My daughter Ashley, Proud Military Sister,  and her family ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2008



My mother Ann, Proud Military Grandmother ~ Enlisted into the silent Ranks in 2008
My brother Fred, Proud Military Uncle ~ Enlisted into the silent Ranks in 2008
My brother Mark, Proud Military Uncle ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2008


My sister Marry Ann, Proud Military Aunt ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2008
My sweety Paul, Proud Military Supporter ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2011
   I haven't posted every ones picture here, my family is quite large.  But to each and everyone of them, I can not thank you enough for your support. 

    May 11th; was Military Spouse Appreciation Day.   As with Military Parents, Spouses have to face their life with an Enlisted Service Member, alone.  More times than not, the spouse is deployed.  To the Military Spouse in our Family.. I honor you today.  Many thanks to my wonderful Daughter in law Jamie.  I can not thank you enough for loving my son with every ounce of yourself.  This song I dedicate to you Jamie...

There you Go Again By Olivia

My daughter in law Jamie, Proud Military Wife  ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks 



 
To my Military Grand Daughter Jaycee ..  You will always have the love and support of your Mommy and Daddy; and a boat load of family...

My grand daughter Jaycee, Proud Military Daughter ~ Enlisted into the Silent Ranks in 2012
Most of all... Many thanks to my son.  Who made us all proud Military Supporters.  Forever you make us proud, and we will always stand behind you more than 110%...

My son.. Proud Enlisted Military Service Member ~ as of 2008