"My Dear Son" - A Mother Speaks Her Heart

	The following is a Gold Star Mother's message to her Marine son Cpl Lance M. Thompson, taken from his Legacy memorial site. You will see Lance pictured in a Veteran's post just a few down from this one. November 15, 2007    -    KIA Iraq November 15, 2004 My dear son, I will start this as I started each letter I wrote to you in Iraq. I am so very proud of you! I am proud of the man you became even though it is hard to not think of the boy you were at the same time. Today, we miss your smile and I miss you saying, "Hello, Mother" in that deep and serious voice. I know you are watching over us all; family and friends. Today, I sent off balloons with your picture. I hope they reach you in heaven. I know you would be trying to suck the helium out to make that weird, high pitched voice and then you would laugh. To Lance's buddies, He has your back! Thank you for having his back! So many of you call and write and tell us stories. What wonderful gifts you give us! I wish you could understand how precious each memory you have given us is! There are just no words to express how much we appreciate those stories and memories. I hope you will ALWAYS feel like you can share ANY thought or memory with us. I know sometimes you fear you will hurt us or bring up a bad memory... Please, don't feel that way. You will understand when you have children how important it is to know everything they do...it is who they are! To all who read this message: Thank you for your warm, caring words of support. Your words mean the world to us! I can't describe the feeling you get when someone you have never met sends you a message! There are no words to describe how this makes you feel and how this helps you go on. A last thought: Lance wanted to do his job, do it well, and make Iraq a place where people would be safe and be able to enjoy the freedom's we enjoy here in the United States. He also wanted to make sure that what he saw in Iraq never came here. The only thing he did that most of his brother Marines, soldiers, and sailors didn't do was die. Every person who is, or has, served in our nation's military are true heroes and all deserve medals and in the least our honor and respect. It is our veterans and military who have given us the freedoms we have today and who ensure that EVERYONE, no matter where they live, have the chance for the same freedoms we have here in America. Lance, my dear son, you served well. Your family loves you and honors you today and always. Be safe, stay strong. Always Semper Fi and Gung Ho With all my love, Mom
	Melanie Smith (Westfield, IN) Photo of a memorial rock at Lance's grave Link to Lance's Legacy Guestbook and Melanie's post and contact info  Link to Veteran's Day Post and Lance's picture.

Jessi ~ An Amazing Young Woman

Jessi's Mom -  Jessi  -   Kendra - Taken this past summer



This is a post asking for your HELP.   

Help to bring some cheer to a military family this holiday season.

The gal who wrote this message is Darlene.   An online friend,

I've known for several years.    These messages are from a

web site we are on together.   

Darlene and her friend Jessi live in Nouth Carolina. 

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Jessi is a 18 year old girl who was born with brittle bones disease.

(Brittle Bone Disease - Osteogenesis Imperfecta)

She has spent her life in a wheelchair and has to live very cautiously.
With as much caution as possible she still manages to break bones in her body.
Her wheelchair hitting something or running over a bump breaks bones.
She is a tiny thing.... If she could walk she wouldn't be 3 feet tall.
She is beautiful young lady with a bit of a fiery disposition.
She loves to paint and make friends.

A lot of people her age are afraid of her and making friends
is hard to do and she has every intention of keeping her friends
or in other words, making an acquaintance isn't what she strives
for and making you her friend is.

Jessi is presently writing medical history.....
She wasn't supposed to live this long and she surpassed her prognosis
many years ago. She is deformed because her skeletal system stopped
growing when she was little but her organs didn't.
It brings about another medical problem for her....
Her organs are all pushed together trying to fit in her tiny body.
If she gets a cold it's dangerous for her because her heart and lungs
are smooshed and it makes them work harder.


=======================================

My daughter Kendra met Jessi at school....
Jessi, in her wheelchair was being bullied and she attempted
to run her bullies down with her chair.... My daughter does
not like a bully and her dislike is even stronger when the
bullies select the defenseless to pick on. My daughter got
involved and she ran the bullies off and brought Jessi into
our lives as well as the lives of her other friends.
My daughter and Jessi will graduate this year from a small school...
They both plan on going to college...
My Kendra wants to be a veterinarian and Jessi wants to be
a counselor on her disease.

UPDATE - Nov 4th

She just returned from John Hopkins in Maryland and her surgeries

have been scheduled...

She will have surgery on December 3rd and be placed in suspended traction

until her next surgery on December 17th. She hopes to be home

in North Carolina for Christmas.

The risks of her surgery are high and she is 18 now.....

She was asked to sign a DNR (Do not resuscitate) form. It was

explained to her that if they tried to resuscitate her excessively that

it would kill her and with a heavy heart she signed the form.

We are being optimistic especially for her benefit.

I sense she will do fine with the surgeries, though. Please keep Jessi

and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

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UPDATE Nov 14th

Jessi's surgery is going to hinder Christmas for her family. I am asking for

your prayers and if you could send a care package for the family

that would be wonderful too.
I told Sheri, Jessi's mom, I would work on Christmas for everyone and

she should worry about the surgery.

If you are able to make or buy just one gift and send it for Christmas

it would help... Or even a gift card, Cheyanne and Jessi love books

and a gift card to waldenbooks or Barnes and Noble would be gold to them.

Cheyanne is Jessi's baby sister, she is 12.
Jessi wants to be home for Christmas but it likely won't happen...

Christmas will be waiting for her when she does get back home....

Emotions are beginning to show their head around here we are

crying one minute and laughing another minute. We are praying

and looking for hope... Other times we are just numb...

This family really needs the power of love and support that
only strangers can give....

Cody M.  age  19
Jessi  B. age 18
Cheyanne M.  age  12
Sheri M.  mom

Matt M.   step father

Matt is serving in the Navy and will be here for Jessi's surgeries.
She will have her surgeries at John Hopkins Hospital in Maryland.

Sheri, Jessi's Mom sent these words.....

"Life is about to change as we know it. Jessica and our family will

be embarking on a new chapter of our lives in a few weeks. Jessica is

scheduled for her first of two spinal surgeries on Dec. 3rd, and then on

Dec 17th for the final fusion.

We are hoping this will change Jessica's life for the better,

either way we are winners!!

WOW.... what an amazing young woman Jessi is. !!!!

Please keep Jessi and her family in your prayers.
I'll be posting updates on my site here of her progress.

I KNOW this is a whole lot to ask, but if everyone of my

friends who reads this message sent the family a couple

of dollars or even $5 or whatever you can  ....

what a difference it would make in their lives. 

I would rather not post their mailing address

directly on the web, but if you would please email

me --  I'll gladly send it your way.

AFMomDeb@aol.com

Remember what Alvin from  the Chipmunks says...

"It's a GIVING - GIVING - GIVING time"

THANK YOU and GOD BLESS

Photo collage of Jessi and friends

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/4778/jessi224rh7.jpg

'The Gratitude Dance'

I saw this video posted on Joyful Jubilant Learning site and could not help
but make a post of it here.    :)))

After going to the YouTube site, I found this further info about the guys
in the video.....................

The Junior Attractors are two very motivated young men who wish to
spread the message of Law of Attraction, and more, to empower youth
around the world to "become the change" as Ghandhi calls it.

Their T-shirts are being worn by many to spread an attitude of gratitude
everywhere they can. The video of the Gratitude Dance is spreading far
and wide and being shown at seminars across the world.
The energy is infectious and it is bringing joy to young and old.

We wish to build a community of likeminded individuals who claim
responsibility for their thoughts and actions, and are determined to create
positive change in the world.
Learn the message and pass it on.

Visit our website at www.JuniorAttractors.com, sign up for our E-zine,
be part of our online community and wear the shirts so all around you
will feel the gratitude.

Matt and Brad    

Check out the Gratitude Dance Video

I'm still smiling.......... and thinking of what I am ~Grateful~ for...

YOU.......   yeah, YOU ...... the one right there reading this post. !!!   

I'm VERY grateful to you.

LOVE
Deb

PS.............   Matt and Brad say they want to empower the youth to
"become the change"...   I SAY........ WHY stop at the youth.   ;)

Adding A Graphic

Locate the ADD IMAGE - in the tool bar in the new post window.
When you click on it, this window above will open up.

You have the choice to add a graphic from your own computer,
or add an graphic that is hosted on an outside site.

I use Imageshack as a image hosting site. It's free and pretty simple.
http://my.imageshack.us/registration/

Once you register then you can add and visit your hosted pictures at any time.
When you upload an image, you are given
URL links. You copy that link and paste it into the box that says
add an image from the web.

The advantage of using graphics hosted elsewhere is that the
size of the grahics file does not come off your alotted space on
Blogger for image files.

Under the area that says - Choose a layout if you choose none
then you can wrap text around a picture.

Choose the image size - small - medium - large

Then hit the upload image button.

If you upload a picture and the size is not right, or the picture is
not what you wanted, you can click on the image that is in
your draft post and hit the delete key.

If you want to start the post with the picture, then
upload it first and enter text.

If you want the graphic within the body of the the post,
then upload it as you are going along.

You can resize the graphic larger or smaller once you have it
in the post, but that is not always reliable and the picture might
distort.

Using Imageshack is also a good way to send photos or
pictures to another person via email. They can view
what you want to send, when you drop in the URL.
That way they don't have to download the picture if they
don't want to.

Angel Smiley

See this cute smile angel

Okay........ I figured out how to wrap the post around the graphic. yeah :)

My Main Blog - At Typepad - Deb_Inside

Deb _Inside

http://www.deb_inside.typepad.com/

Veterans Day - November 11, 2007

"A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve -
is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check made
payable to The United States Of America for an amount of
'up to and including my life.'   
That is honor.   There are far too many people in this country who
don't understand it."
- Author Unknown-


Veterans very often wear baseball style caps with the insignia
of their branch of service.    Just this last week, I stopped an
elderly gent in the parking lot of my local grocery store.
I extended my hand and thanked him for his service.
This Korean war Vet stood as proud as if he were at
full attention before a general.    There was a certain look
of shock on his face.    I can only hope and pray it made his day.
PLEASE consider doing the same when you see someone
who might have served.
There was another time a few years back I did the same thing...
the fellow said to me...  'Ohhh I've never served but my son is
on his way to Iraq'.     I thanked him for raising a son willing
to serve.

Remembering all veterans and these special few among the
very many who have given thier lives in service.   

Jonn J. Edmunds - Army Ranger - January 3, 1981 ~ October 19, 2001





Lance M. Thompson - Marine - March 26, 1983 ~ November 15, 2004

 



Michael A. Marzano - Marine - May 18, 1976 ~ May 7, 2005





Daniel M. McVicker - Marine - December 27, 1984 ~ October 6, 2005





Dustin R. Grable - Air Force - June 8, 1983 ~ May 31, 2006





Lucas W.A. Emch - Navy- February 8, 1986 ~ March 2, 2007





Paige Renee Villers - Air Force - November 3, 1987 ~ August 7, 2007




The families and friends of these pictured heroes
are my friends.    They are readers of my blog.
If you would care to leave them a message in the
comment area, I know your thoughts will be
well received.   

~ A Gift That Keeps On Giving ~

The big season of gift giving is upon us.   So many people
scramble around for just that perfect gift.   Only every now and
then will that gift be remembered. 

The words and music to the Christmas song
Little Drummer Boy was composed by Katherine K. Davis,
Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone in 1958.

“Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, “

“Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum? “

The Little Drummer Boy did not realize right away
that he did indeed have a gift.   

You have gifts all wrapped up inside of you.

Those gifts are ….  Your Words.

   

For your family members or close special friends

pick up a blank journal and in the first few pages

write out some shared memories, or some reasons

why these people are so important to you.

Drop in a special photo……..

Make certain you date the book.   All through the year

you can mail them items to add to the book.

If you think a blank journal is going to break the

bank, think again.   You can pick up wonderful

little journals at the dollar store.   Of course you can

go to the other end and do a leather bound one too.

This will truly be the gift that keeps on giving. 

 

Tree In My Yard

From the outside looking towards my neighbors house.....




From the inside...

Taken November 2, 2007

Michael Israel ~ AMAZING Artist

Previous to seeing Michael Israel perform in these
videos, the only other painter I had seen in action
would have been Bob Ross ~ The Joy of Painting.

Totally different styles indeed, but amazing to
actually watch an artist in action.

Israel takes the word performing artist to
an entirely different level.   I can only imagine
how awe inspiring it would be to see him in person.!

As I was preparing this post today, I showed the
video of Israel to my son Kevin.   He's 11.
He said to me, 'He seems so angry'.
I responded, 'No honey, he's just like a conductor
leading an orchestra.    That's PASSION'.

Perception ~ I don't think I convinced Kevin.  :)

As it states on his web site....
"For charities,  Michael's performances raise awareness,
goodwill,  and funds on a grand scale".



Hero perfomed by Michael Israel in New York

The story behind the painting   ~ Don't Miss This  :))))


Link to Michael Israel's Web Site



WOW.... just plain WOW.....   See if you agree.