Families and the Military

Kyle In Iraq

I have a son who joined the Army in 2005. It was a very hard year for him. He had a four year old son, he was a single dad, and worked several dead end jobs.
At one point his son got very sick and had to be taken to the emergency for a fever that would not break. The doctors worked very hard to bring the fever down. After what seemed like days, it finally broke and they were able to send Jayden home.

It made my son realize that HE had no health insurance. The next day Kyle went and spoke to the recruiter. I, as a mother, did not want Kyle to go. I gave him so many reasons not to go. But he had more reasons why he needed to do this.

Kyle left in November 2006 the week before Thanksgiving. I was so sad. I kept thinking about Kyle getting thru Basic training. How he was being treated, what he was having to do. Did they get a Thanksgiving dinner? And that was just the beginning. After 10 weeks of basic, he spent 20 weeks for advanced training to become a medic. He left for his first tour in September of 2007. I always have selfish thoughts about how all this made me feel. About what I was going thru, thinking, wondering. But, really, I should have been thinking about Kyle and all the other men and women who have served our country. Shame on me!!!

Kyle went on to serve 6 years and two tours of Iraq.Thank god, he came home.

Kyle learned so much and experienced so much, some good, some not so good. But, he's home. Going to school on the GI bill. His son is 10 years old and doing great.

Sometimes we need to stop and think about what we have. Appreciate all the we have, and thank all the men and women who have served our country.

FAMILIES DEALING WITH ALZHEIMER'S

Well, about 3 years ago I posted a blog about my mom and dealing with her dementia and early Alzheimer's. She had a fabulous sense of humor even till the end. I miss her so much and think about her every day.
Well, here it is 2012, and my husband, Bob and I have been caring for his mom, who has Alzheimer's. She has been living with us for almost two years now.
When we, (yes,we) decided to care for her full time, we thought this was the best option for her. I still believe that. I still believe we made the right decision. But, I never imagined how hard it would be. My husband stays with her all day. I work full time and when I get home I take over, so he can have a break. She is still able to communicate, dress, and feed herself. She is always in a good mood. Wakes up with a smile, and at bed time she hugs me and thanks me. She sleeps more and more during the day, but we were told this is all part of the process.
We have read so many articles regarding Alzheimer's. The symptoms, the different stages, what to expect, but, everyone is different and sometimes the stages overlap.
My husband and I have dealt with so many issues with mom, ALONE!!! We decide what is best for her, what she needs, where she will go. It is the very hardest job we have ever had to do. BUT, I would not trade anything. I will NEVER regret my decision (our decision). What we have had t o give up. I feel it has been a PRIVILEGE to care for her.

WHAT TO DO WITH OLD PUZZLES

I have stacks and stacks of beading magazines. Sometimes when I am sitting and watching TV I will go thru a few of the older ones and get ideas. I came across a cute idea for puzzle pieces. I'm sure alot of people have old puzzles around, maybe some have missing pieces. I went to Goodwill and found several colorful puzzles for about $2.00 each set. I punched holes into the tab part, coated it with Mod Podge, put a ring and then attached an ear wire. Some I put Swarovski Crystals, to accent the colors of the puzzle. There are so many color ranges in the puzzles that you can make several different pairs from one puzzle.

SHOP HANDMADE

I was reading thru my Facebook and saw an ad on the side for handmade items. I clicked on the link www.shophandmade.com and was impressed with this website.

I'm not sure how long its been available, but its such a good idea. It is for handmade items. They can be items that you make yourself or that someone else makes. The only rule is the items are not mass produced.

It works kind of the same as Etsy, except, there are NO FEES!!!! You can post items, and there is no charge. I find that listing an item is a bit more complicated that Etsy, but I am new at listing items and it does take a bit longer for me. Overall I think it is such a great idea. There are so many catagories to list your favorite items under. Plus a great place to shop for handmade things.

ETSY SHOP

Etsy is a website that has handcrafted items listed by crafters from around the world. Anything from soap, knitted items, hand sewn items, jewelry, clothes and some food items. It is like a traditional craft fair (Wikipedia).

You can shop by ideas, colors, gifts and treasury or local shops. When you open your shop on Etsy, you recommend other items by visiting different shops and picking favorite items from that shop. You "meet" other shop owners by adding them to your "circle". You can have conversations on line with the shop owners and they can visit your shop and recommend your items. There are so many items to choose from. Perfect when you are shopping for the person who has everything.

I started using the site in 2008 and listed a few jewelry items. It costs $.20 for each item listed and you list your price plus shipping and handling. You can post photos of your item as well.

Also, you can add a "Like" button on each for Twitter and Facebook. The all your items can be viewed on you Facebook and Twitter pages.