Thursday, November 9, 2023

Thank a Veteran for their Service

Happy Thursday all!

Moving into the house has been very slow going.  This past weekend, the boys and their girlfriends stayed at @TheFarm and we celebrated a late Halloween.  With their help, we were also able to completely remove all of our belongings from the trailer. 

For Halloween, we were asked to come as a "pair of [fill in the blank]"   

Bruce and I came as scary skeletons.  My eldest Brandon and his girlfriend came as a pair of pumpkins.  My middle son, Devon, and his girlfriend had just gone to a party as Pokemon's Team Rocket with my son being Jesse so they came just "as is".  And my youngest son, Justin, and his girlfriend came as Anakin and Padme.  


The Picture above includes a pair of pumpkins with Lola the cat (left top); a Pair from Star Wars (left middle); my youngest Anakin with Lola the cat (left bottom); The family (top right) and me with Devon photobombing (bottom right)

As for the trailer.  Oh my, what sounds like a small task ("empty the trailer") was not.  We had every inch of that trailer filled with stuff.   I followed my own guidance and sorted everything into three piles (keep/donate / trash).  For keep, it had to be something I was going to use at least every month.  For trash, it had to be something that would not sell at a thrift store.  Of the piles, keep was the smallest and donate was the largest and I was happy to take five very large bags and two large boxes to the FieldHaven Marketplace to be put on the floor for sale.   

My husband, Bruce, and I also decided to invest in a new couch and dining table.  They won't be here in time for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but the anticipation of having a place where my boys and their girlfriends can all join Bruce and me for a family dinner along with a couch big enough for our growing family to plop down and watch a movie is something I look forward to.

Thank a Veteran for their Military Service!

November 11 is honored in the United States as Veterans Day to celebrate the service of all U.S. military Veterans.  As a mom of a Navy Veteran, a niece of three Marine Veterans, and the cousin of an Air Force Veteran, I have seen firsthand the sacrifice these men and women have made for the US. 

If I might share, my Uncle Robert “Bobby” Rea served in Vietnam as one of the Combat Correspondents, or “Snuffies” as they were called under the leadership of Dale Dye.  He would tell my brother, sister, and me the most remarkable stories.  I was very young, so I was often pulled away when the story became too serious.  I remember when he called us and said that Oliver Stone was making a movie and bringing in Dye as the military consultant to ensure events were portrayed accurately.  He was so concerned about bringing the world of war to film.  He wanted it to be accurate because he knew it was important, but he also didn’t want to be made into a movie for so many other reasons.  During the same call, he also told us that one of his friends had written a book called The Short Timers which was also going to be made into a movie.  The movie, Full Metal Jacket, was released in 1987.  Both Platoon and Full Metal Jacket are considered movies that accurately describe events that occurred, and they are as disturbing as you can imagine a movie about war would be.   My other uncles, Butch Rea, and Michael Hale, served in Vietnam as well and received several accolades and medals.  Unlike my Uncle Bobby, they never talked about their time in the military except saying it was an honor to serve.   

On November 11 consider doing something for a veteran whether it be helping one, sending a card or even learning about the veteran experience.  For the latter, I found from the WF Veteran’s Connection (ERN), that you can learn about the Wells Fargo veteran experience, culture, and perspective from both US and non-US veterans on one of the Veterans Connection ERN podcasts (click Listen to Episode 4).

For all who served, thank you.  I sincerely appreciate your service.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

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