We are getting there

When last I wrote, it was the end of Spring, and the chaos of the last few months was just beginning.  First, with 3 children, 2 of them toddlers, and my husband in Iraq (serving our country), I began the ordeal of putting our home for sale and shipping our household goods for storage at our next base.  Around then, I got the news that we are expecting another baby.          

Now that I am finally feeling as though I can get my head above water, the baby is due. In the mean time, we spent the summer in Turkey, sold the house on Laurel, moved most of our household goods to Cheyenne WY, found out that there was not officer housing available after all,  totaled the Mercedes in a flash flood, bought a house in Cheyenne, moved here just in time for school, bought a Yukon because we are now a family which needs third row seating, and are waiting for the rest of our household goods from Texas and Turkey, including my husbands VW.

Maybe sooner than later I can post the photos from Turkey, or describe our home there.  Maybe I will soon be able to convey how it was so rewarding to spend so much time with my mother.  But right now I am uncontrollably driven to nest, nest, nest.  I have not set up her room yet or chosen a name or bought a stitch of clothing, so while doing that, one by one I will try to catch up with friends and family.  I will spend more time writing, recording, corresponding and when at all possible visiting.   

We are getting there

Baby Journal - Pregnancy Day One

I took the early response test over a week ago but have waited until today to make the prenatal appointment. No reason, just very busy with life, they other children, selling a house, my birthday, M's birthday, routine duties...

Mike is still abroad, but he was the first to tell, besides the very observant eight year old girl. What is that for mom? I hope you're not pregnant...

I am starting out overweight, 150lbs today, bigger than I was when Tommy was born! What happened. I realize this will be a bigger challenge than my other pregnancies because I will be trying harder to stay or be fit.

Baby Journal - Pregnancy Day One

Stuff white people like

Stuff White People Like

If you are anything like me (white, over 30 and pretty average) this will have you rolling with laughter. Don't just read the list, go to the whole article it is hilarious. #1 is coffee. #60 is Toyota Prius. #58 Japan. #78 multilingual children. Somewhere in there is eighties night,

But the best one is #49 Vintage, "As white people get older, and the opportunities to wear a “Pittsburgh
Special Olympics ‘76″ T-shirt diminish, they must move their vintage
fetish from clothes to furniture and knick knacks. For a post-30 white
person, the mention of a ‘vintage stove’ or ‘vintage card catalog” can
send their imaginations racing about how to incorporate it into their
current home decor."

Full List of Stuff White People Like « Stuff White People Like

Stuff white people like

PhotoMail! Otherwise known as V-Mail

from Writing Adventures and Exploration of History by Tony Bandy
(Source: National Archives)

Next to chow, a letter from home is one of the best things a soldier can get. However, getting mail to the soldier is not easy, particularly in times of war. The question becomes, what gets to the soldier? Is it bullets, beans, or mail? During World War II, this question was of the utmost importance, especially considering the amount of manpower deployed by the United States overseas and remote corners of the world.

The solution was V-Mail (Victory Mail) or as the Army called it, "Photomail."


(Source: US Army FM 11-150, Photomail Operation)
(Online Source of Manual: Army Heritage Collection Online)

Technically speaking the process was fairly simple. Using required forms, the letter would be photographed, placed on a roll of microfilm and then shipped overseas. Once arrived, the microfilm would then be printed out on special paper and shipped to the soldier. This also worked in reverse, that is the soldier's letters to home would be converted to V-Mail and then shipped back to the States for processing back into printed mail.

Some interesting statistics can be gathered:

* Mail weight was reduced by up to 98%.
* The printed out letters were approximately 1/4 the size of regular letters.
* During the war over 500 million V-Mail letters were shipped overseas!


I've found some good links below that will give you background as well as the actual field manual describing the daily operations of photomail. Have a great day!

See you tomorrow!




Links:

Duke University Libraries Digital Collection (Advertising)

National Postal Museum: V-Mail
Army Heritage Collection Online (search for V-Mail)
Wikipedia link: V-Mail

lent

"Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming
of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the
early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism.
Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing
to give up something or volunteering and giving of themselves for
others. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the
wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan. Sundays in Lent are not
counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a
"mini-Easter" celebration of the Jesus' victory over sin and death."
http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=2870

lent

this is awesome

LOC Color Photos, History, and More!

from Writing Adventures and Exploration of History by Tony Bandy

For
some of you readers this may be old hat, but for others, like myself,
I've just discovered buried treasure in the form of LOC availability on
Flickr.

The end result? LOC (Library of Congress) has in their words:

"...is
beginning somewhat modestly, but we hope to learn a lot from it. Out of
some 14 million prints, photographs and other visual materials at the
Library of Congress, more than 3,000 photos from two of our most
popular collections are being made available on our new Flickr page, to include only images for which no copyright restrictions are known to exist...."
Flickr: Photos from The Library of Congress

this is awesome

Mikey can talk

Mama
Jasmine (Jaman)
Rosie (WreeWree)
tractor blanket
bye bye guy singing
bye bye guys swimming
turtle (tootool)
bear
cookie?
tractor cup
Elmo (melmo)
tractor blanket
tractor
tractor
go bye bye grammas house
the bus
bus
Mama

Mikey can talk

wish list...

I will take the envelope and it's contents please...
AirMail: Manila envelope laptop sleeve for MacBook Air

wish list...

Still Blue

Not as tired as the first two weeks after his departure although just as busy, I have managed to carve out this time to myself for two of the last three Sundays. The Complete Jane Austen, this week is Mansfield Park, pleasant television in the background of bedtime for babies and young girls.

As Rosie has been working on her cataloging and categorizing of rocks found in the creeks of central Texas. Her samples are lined up on the mantle each numbered in it's own babyfood jar, out of reach of toddlers. She has recorder physical observations and tested for hardness. We have gathered reference materials and have the supplies for the stand.

I have much work of my own: letters to write, books to catalog,emails to send, pictures to upload, blogs to write, and so much more.

It looks like DH is at a conference in Naples, and I eagerly await an email with the details and maybe pictures. I wonder, for example, what are his accommodations, or does he have any time to sight see?

Surprisingly the boys are both asleep despite getting two teeth each. Rosie is of course all tuckered out from working hard. I am proud of her.

Still Blue

January 20

Whew!

It seems like forever since I had a few minutes together to write anything down so I had better just get to the meat of it:

My DH has gone back to Turkey and I am now in the cold harsh messy house reality stage of him not being around. I generally go the whole day without an adult conversation unless you count the 30 second snippets with the neighbor, grocer, postman, etc. These incidental trivialities will be more important to me sooner than later, but right now I have too much to worry about.

My first priority is getting the passports in order for everyone. This is probably far more involved than I realize, but I hope not. I can probably renew mine, but all 3 kiddos have to get a new one.

I am slowly working on getting the house in order for moving day which is not yet set. For that matter, the location is as of yet unspecified.

Along these lines, I found a great application for cataloging my personal library: Library Thing. So far, the data entry is super easy because the search is linked to the library of congress (and Amazon and something like 23 other databases). The data entry is mostly done for me and in the correct format. I can print cards, download the whole database and see who else has my books, read their reviews and recommendations. Plus there are thumbnails of the covers and widgets for my blog.

January 20