It's Almost Over!

Finally, the hubby will be home THIS month!  I can't wait to have him back.  I plan to continue adding to this blog, as I come up with tips and suggestions for those of you who still have loved ones overseas.  My step mom is about to go for 15 months, so it is still very much a part of my life.

A couple of thoughts:

• Care packages: do send them! I find that funny things are best: soap on a rope, whatever will make them smile. Also, if it is your significant other deployed, I suggest sending some HoochyMail! My sister in law (married to the hubby's brother, who was a Marine and served 3 tours in Iraq) recommended this to me, and it is a tried and true favorite. Another good thing to send is those individual packets of sauces (Taco Bell hot sauce, BBQ, mustard, ketchup, etc. This makes chow hall food/MREs much more palatable). Books and/or magazines are good too, but remember you may not get them back, depending on where your loved one is.
• Pictures are nice! Email them or send hard copies, but there's nothing better than some photos of the family and pets to cheer our guys and gals up.
• A good old fashioned, snail mail, handwritten letter is something to be cherished.

My thoughts go out to everyone with a part of their life deployed.  Best wishes!

A Day in the Life

What do you do when you are lonely, and your best friend and love of your life is half way around the world?

1)Write letters and e-mails when you can-about the good stuff. A bit of "I miss you" is great, but too much just makes everyone feel bad. Sometimes these sappy tear spotted letters cannot be helped however. They should just be kept to a minimum.

2)Keep busy. At least one job, a summer class, a volunteer organization, anything that makes you get up, take a shower at least a few times a week, and interact with people. You've gotta get out of the walls of your home, or you will go insane.

3)Send packages. Lots of packages. I try to send one every two weeks or so. It's fun to pick up little things that you know will make your loved one's day. Themed boxes are fun. Take a trip to an Asian market, a flea market, somewhere you might not usually go. Find something unique that will make them smile.

I've been sending gnome shots-the namesake for this blog actually. I got the
idea last time my hubby was gone, but had taken pictures with my sister's
camera, and forgotten about them until recently. Now I'm taking them any
time something important happens, as a fun way to share what's going on.

4)Find something new and fun to do. Play a new video game, learn to knit, read all the books by an author you're interested in. Write a blog. The more things you can find that might sound interesting at any given time, the better, because sometimes you'll want to do one thing, and sometimes you won't have the energy for somethings.

5)Have a pet. Preferably a fish or something that doesn't need too much care if you need to leave for a weekend so you can surround yourself with friends and family when you're having a rough time.

6)Plan trips. Take a girly road trip weekend to do something fun. Fly to see your great aunt in Florida for a week. Convince someone to go camping with you for a weekend-or take some time out for yourself. But get out and away sometimes, or you'll go crazy.