Our National Anthem by Gail
Gross
"Joy is what happens when we allow
ourselves to recognize how good things really are".
"My husband and I had not been
married long when he took me to an AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchange Service)
movie theater at Fort Hood,Texas. We bought our tickets, putchased popcorn and
carefully chose our seats to watch the film. The theater began to fill, and we
waited for the curtain to go up.
My husband kept glancing at his
watch as if he had to be somewhere, and, promptly at 1900 (7:00PM), he set his
soda and his popcorn aside. I was about to say something to him when the curtyain
began to part and I heard the sound of our national anthem being played. I
scrambled to find somewhere to put my soda and popcorn, and finally made it to my
feet and put my hand over my heart. This was certainly not the first time I had
heard the national anthem, but it was the first time I heard it played in a
theater before a movie.
I waited for the last note to
sound and then looked at my husband's smiling face. He had purposely not told me
so he could see my reaction. Needless to say, the next time we went to a movie on
post, I was ready to stand with pride for the laying of our national
anthem.
When we moved to Germany, we
continued our habit of seeing movies at the theater on post. We had only been
there a few days when we went to our first film. Just as before, we bought our
tickets and popcorn and made our way to our seats. We stood for the playing of
our national anthem, and before we got to "by the dawn's early light", tears were
streaming down my face.This was my blessed country's sacred song, but I was no
longer living between her shores. Experienceing these words while standing on
foreign soil lent every utterance and declaration a deeper meaning.
My heart swells with newfound
pride and patriotism each time I hear the sweet strains that remind me of the
price of my freedom. I am proud to be an American and even more proud to be
married to a soldier who has defended my freedoms and yours for nineteen
years.
Only by leaving America did I
truly understand and appreciate love of country, and now I now wait with great
anticipation to return to the "Land of the free and the home of the
brave".
God bless America."
I was recently blessed to have a
dear Alaska friend come for a 5 day visit. She's a grandma and had just finished
serving an 18 month tour in Afghanistan as a government employee. (They paid for
her to fly home every 3 months for 2 week periods). She works for AAFES and loved
being able to 'serve those who serve'. She's very brave and courageous in my
eyes. I want to share with you, as she shared with me, as it was very heart
stirring to know."I
was on a crowded, cargo-packed helicopter bound for Dwyer from Leatherneck when
a Marine Captain looked at me and shouted over the thump, thump of the
rotors,“Ma’am, I apologize for the uncomfortable ride!” I told him not to even
think about apologizing because at that very moment I was living a dream AND
getting to cross an item off of my bucket list…riding in a helicopter!!!This
Marine was loaded down, head to toe, with every piece of protective gear one could
don. Along with his rucksack and more than one weapon, he would be getting off at
the pit stop we were to make in an undisclosed location. Just before he hopped
out of the helicopter, he turned to me and said, “And ma’am, thank you for your
service.” I couldn’t speak for the lump in my throat, all I could do was look at
him as tears welled up in my eyes. I think he understood thoughin those seconds
of silence as our eyes met, mine filled with tears, that I was thanking him for
his service and for his sacrifice, for fighting for my freedom, my family’s
freedom, my way of life, my America, the land that I love so very much, and for
putting himself in harm’s way to protect and keep you and me safe. He owed me no
thank you whatsoever. I watched as he slipped out of the helicopter into the
night’s darkness, I wished him Godspeed and prayed for him, a man I had not seen
before and will never see again, a brave man, a warrior, a patriot, a hero. I was
humbled."
I am not sure if I've previously
shared this opportunity to minister to troops overseas, but I will be sending
coffee again to them for Vets Day. It's a simple process through the Green Beans
Coffee website. For only $2.50, you can send a cup of 'joe' to a 'Joe' overseas!! Go
to www.greenbeanscoffee.com and click on 'cup of joe' tab. What a simple way to
say thanks. GBC slogan is 'Honor First, Coffee Second". A small gift of comfort like
this can mean so much. A ladies group at my church just sent 27 cups of coffee
and received thank you emails from all of them! I was able to send a monthly
coffee card to my girlfriend while she was serving overseas so we could enjoy
coffee 'together'. It's an amazing opportunity and outreach.
On
a side note, if you can get your hands on a Nov/Dec issue of Simply
Hers magazine, published in Hillsdale county, Ron and I are
privileged to be featured for Vets day, complete with some cool photos
too. (Yes, my Marine hubby agreed to be part of a woman's magazine! Will wonders
ever cease? ha)
With
holiday baking looming ahead, I hope these "Homemade" recipe substitutions help you in a
pinch.
DIY POWDERED
SUGAR: Place 1 cup
granulated sugar and 1 Tb. cornstarch in the blender; Blend on high continuously
until the mixture is of uniform powdered consistency. Keep the lid on the blender
until the powder settles.
DIY BROWN SUGAR: For every cup of brown sugar needed, use 1 c.white sugar and 2 Tb.molasses.
DIY BAKING
MIX(Bisquick):
6
c. all-purpose flour
3 Tb. baking powder
1 Tb. baking soda
3 Tb. baking powder
1 Tb. baking soda
3
Tb. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 c. shortening(like Crisco)
2 tsp. salt
1 c. shortening(like Crisco)
In large bowl, combine dry ingredients; cut in Crisco
with pastry blender until fine consistency. It should be a fine meal with no lumps. Store
in a large plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Use as you would
store-purchased bisquick in any recipe.
