Fly Your Flag

With Memorial Day just around the corner (Can it be almost June already?!), it is important that we take time to remember all of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Just last week a soldier from this area was killed in Afghanistan, and the community has really been affected. As military wives, we get it, we see the lasting effects on the lives of those in our community, as well as those who have lost a loved one long ago. No one is ever fully prepared for that knock at the door.

To honor our Veterans, and the country they gave their lives for, what better way than by flying an American flag? What, you don't have one? We'll that's not okay! Want to win one? Here's what you need to do...

- Comment telling me how you plan to show your American pride for Memorial Day for one entry.
- Follow for two entries.
- Blog or add to your sidebar for three. (Leave a link please!)
- Leave SEPARATE comments telling me which one(s) you have done. 
- Check back on Memorial Day to see if you won!

The winner will be able to choose an American flag or a military flag from CVS flags, and it will be delivered right to your house. Plus, with CVS flags you know that the flag you are flying is made in the US! No "Made in China" sticker on your flag!

Good luck!

Moving Along...

Well, I must have talked to the right people at some point because things finally got started, and now it's full steam ahead. The husband is still TDY, but lucky for him he purchased some presents for me from J Crew and Target, which should help me hit him a little softer for being gone during all this fun.

I have our plane tickets reserved, billeting on both sides, movers scheduled, phone/internet/elec shut off scheduled, cat appointment made, housing application sent, post office box acquired,  and all sorts of other stuff. Of course it is all organized neatly in a binder, which I highly recommend.

So now the house is a complete disaster as I get things pre-packed for the movers who come in a week! (Yes, I clean before my cleaning lady comes as well. Stop judging.) I figure doing a little more work on this end helps it to be easier moving into the new place, and personally I'd rather have it easier on the other side. Trying to learna new culture, meet new friends, and adjust to a new place is enough to handle on its own.


Here are some things I do to get ready for the movers as we PCS...

-All linens are washed and placed into large ziploc bags so they are clean upon arrival. Throwing in a dryer sheet helps them stay nice and fresh.
-Anything not going with the movers (and the cat) is placed in a room with the door closed so it doesn't get packed by accident!
-I photograph all items worth over 100 dollars to prove the condition they were in pre-move.
-I write down any item that might walk away, such as DVD titles, electronic serial numbers, etc.
-All items needed to put together furniture go in a small clear box, and are put in with linens. I mark this box so it can be opened first at the new house.
-I seperate all my pro gear into same colored containers so there is no need to unpack it at the new place until I get a job. (Did you know spouses get a pro gear allowance?)
- I print labels (or get some from Vistaprint) that have our address on them, as well as labels to show what room the items should go in on arrival.
- I drink a lot of wine.

Please don't tell me about all the stuff you don't have to stress about with your wonderful DITY move and how you have you stuff right away without waiting 2 months. I will kick you in the shin.

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As a side note, I apologize for not being a good commenter or blog designer lately. I promise I am still reading and working, but with all this, working full time, interning, and taking an intense 3 week class, I'm barely keeping my head above water. I can't wait until June 11th!

Dependency

de·pend·en·cy [dih-pen-duhn-see] 

–noun, plural -cies.

1. the state of being dependent; dependence.

Don't you love being a dependent? Yeah, it's real fun. Well, to tell the truth, most of the time I don't mind it. As long as things get done, I don't notice it. HOWEVER, when it comes to getting the sticky stuff done, it really sucks being the "dependent."

Am I dependent? Are we dependent? Let's see, we handle deployments, TDYs, last minute schedule changes, single parenting, lonely nights, remote tours, countless moves, and still manage to set up a home, find friends, contribute to our families, and help our husband's with their careers. I highly doubt if most non-mil wives I know could handle all the craziness that comes with being a "dependent."

And yet, while I (we) am able to accomplish all of that (and still wear cute shoes), I am obviously not capable of setting up things for our move by myself. My husband has to email permission (since a POA isn't enough) for me to do anything. What is with that? Is he my Dad? I try to set up appointments and make plans, but it takes an active duty member with the right number of stripes or a pretty set of wings to get things pushed through. Heck, even at the auto skills shop it took Jordan coming in for them to start using car terminology. Obviously, to the base my identity and function level is dependent on my husband. I simply exist.

So why is it that we (as mil wives) are capable of much, yet in the eyes of the military are capable of handling nothing alone? 

I may be a "dependent", but I am certainly not dependent.

And the winner is...

Sarah! Congrats Sarah, as entry 10, you win a copy of Susan Wiggs' The Ocean Between Us!

Email me your address within 24 hours so we can get the book on it's way to you! (bluestarblogs (at) gmail (dot) com)

(Thanks for being patient. Apparently by "the winner will be drawn Monday" I meant Wednesday. We FINALLY got orders and now with the husband TDY it's up to me to get it all done! Yeah!)

Not Just Another Mil Spouse Book

Did you know today is military spouse appreciation day? (And it was teacher appreciation week!) I hope my fellow mil spouses out there are feeling appreciated. My husband said to me tonight, "Get off your butt and cook dinner. How's that for spouse appreciation. Boo ya!" I only wish I was kidding you. Of course he got a kick in the shin for that one. He's lucky that was so out of character that I laughed. He's also lucky he is going TDY tomorrow. Punk. :)

Anyway, I feel lucky that today I get to share an awesome mil spouse book with you guys. I was recently sent a copy of The Ocean Between Us by Susan Wiggs to check out. You know I love to read, and this book was no different! I have read another by the same author before and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read her take on the craziness that is a military marriage. If you haven't read a Wiggs book yet, or if you like mil fiction, you should check it out. It's a page turner, I promise!

As a bonus I was also able to do an interview with Susan to find out even more about her and why she wrote this book. As a future librarian, you know I totally geeked out about this. Here's how it went. Please notice how calm, cool, and collected I manage to be... 

CC: In Home Before Dark you pulled me in with your story in the Texas Hill Country, and with The Ocean Between Us, you clearly illustrated the sacrifices of a military wife. What do you do to make the stories and characters so authentic? How do you immerse yourself in the topics?

SW: I am endlessly fascinated by people and places. Everyone’s life seems so much more interesting than mine! This probably makes me tune in to people’s emotions and issues, finding the most dramatic way to weave them into fiction. This usually means making things sharper and more extreme than they might be in real life—and the resolution in fiction tends to be less ambiguous. I also read tons of self-help books. The good ones bring up real human issues, and show positive solutions for resolving them.
 

CC:  I see you have lived all around the world. How has that changed you as a person and a writer?

SW: I was never tied by deep roots to a particular community, so it probably made ties with family and friends more important. I also missed all the TV shows of the 1970s while overseas—I suspect I’m better off for it! My lack of roots might be one reason I really play up the nostalgia angle in some of my books, particularly the Lakeshore books, set in a small, tight-knit community.
 

CC: Do you have a favorite travel destination for writing inspiration?

SW: Um, my patio? Seriously, I am incredibly lucky to live in one of the most gorgeous, dramatic spots on earth. The water and mountain views are incredibly inspirational to me. Here are some shots of an aircraft carrier passing by—no wonder I loved my Navy family in THE OCEAN BETWEEN US! http://picasaweb.google.com/JayandSusanWiggs/CarrierJohnStennisPassingBy#
 

CC: How were you first inspired to write about the complex world of military marriages?

SW: I was inspired by a writer friend, Geri Krotow, who is a beloved author for Harlequin. What readers might not know about her is that she is a graduate of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, a former intelligence officer, and currently a Navy officer’s wife. She was generous enough to open her world to me when she was stationed on Whidbey in Washington, and later, Naples. My characters are purely fiction, but I tried to ground them in the world I explored through Geri.

 

CC: You have written more than 40 novels, spanning a number of different genres. Do you have a favorite genre to write? Do you have a favorite novel that you have written?

SW: Yikes, that’s like asking which chocolate in the Godiva box is my favorite! I have to be in love with a book because it dominates my work life for six months to a year. Each one demands a high level of passion from the writer. That said, The Ocean Between Us is definitely a favorite because of amazing people I met while writing that book—Navy wives, officers, sailors, pilots—everyone was so welcoming and helpful.
 

CC: I see you are a former teacher from Texas who loves to travel, take pictures, and loves to read. It seems as if we have a lot in common! Do you ever miss teaching? Do you ever miss Texas? (Please notice how I didn't beg her to be BFFs here. Totally calm, cool, and collected)

SW: I miss both. Teaching is one of the most demanding, creative and under-appreciated professions there is. And Texas—I miss the friends I made there, so long ago. And Tex-Mex food. Who wouldn’t miss that?
 

CC:  Is there anything else my fellow military wives and I should know about you and/or your novels?

SW: Just that I have the greatest respect for them and their sacrifices on behalf of our country. I hope I did them justice in The Ocean Between Us. And I’m sorry about getting the commissary and dispensary mixed up.
 

CC: Thank you for the opportunity to preview your new paperback release of The Ocean Between Us. I look forward to downloading The Story of Us (the prequel to The Ocean Between Us) very soon! 

How cool was that? Okay, well I thought it was cool. You should too! You know what else is cool???

You can win a copy of The Ocean Between Us! No kidding! Then you will probably want to beg Susan to be BFFs too, but remember, I was first. So, if you want to win...

1. Comment with the title of your fave book for 1.

2. Follow for 2. (Make sure to let me know you follow!)

That's all! Incomplete entries won't be counted, so make sure you follow the rules. Also, if you do win, you have to contact me within 24 hours. The winner will be chosen Monday, May 10th. 

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of the book to read. And a bajillion dollars. Okay, maybe not the last part.

In-Between

So you come to the point where you are no longer here...

But you aren't quite here...

 What is there? How do you manage to be fashionable without looking like a 12 year old or an old lady? Well, I suppose there is J. Crew, but, I don't know about you guys, but that's not in my budget. Ann Taylor and Gap are typical favorites, but I must say I was recently pleasantly surprised by one store I have over looked in the past...

Guess where all those are from? Talbots! No kidding! With a much more affordable price tag than J. Crew (but with the same quality), Talbots is actually a new favorite. Their fall preview was just as cute. (See their blog for pics.)

Are you as surprised as I am?