NVNC ID VIDES, NVNC NE VIDES

I have several draft posts sitting in the editing queue. They're out of date and I won't be bringing them public. They're out of date because I've had a real doozy of a week - thus the lack of bloggage since the 13th.

At work the program I manage is keeping me busy handling one "opportunity" after another (what, you didn't know that opportunity is bizspeak for crisis? ok, maybe not crisis but at least problem) At home I was first getting ready for my dad's visit and then getting ready for my son's departure, the reason for my dad's visit. Although my son moved out back in October, he worked in the area and lived about a mile away and I saw him frequently - spoke to him nearly every day. I say "lived" and "spoke" because Ft. Benning, Georgia is his new home and it's going to be awhile before he gets to call home. He hopes to be in the Army Airborne when he completes his training. He says he's interested in the 101st Airborne - these are the soldiers who drop from helicopters. They are on deployment in Iraq.

So, the boy has enlisted in the Army. He was picked up by his recruiter on Wednesday night - we were all there to say farewell. Although I heard from him briefly that night and again, very briefly, yesterday, I think he flew out today but I'm not certain. I sit here wondering what he's going through and what it's like.

Dad (retired Air Force non-com) and my brother (ex-Navy officer) gave him their advice - my brother's letter to my son brought tears to my eyes. I wish I had a copy but I'm glad my son took it with him and I hope he looks at it when he's feeling particularly low.

Tuesday night we had a nice going away dinner - on the left in the foreground is my dad, my son is the one with the black shirt and pretty girlfriend. He invited two couples along but the ones next to my son (also his former room-mates) didn't make it into the frame and I'm so nearsighted I didn't notice. The other couple are Airsoft team-mates.














The food was great, my son gave a very moving speech, the gist of which was that when he's struggling he will gather strength from the knowledge that we love and support him here at home.

I think I did a good job being strong and brave for him before he left. Now I have to try and do the same for myself.

So in an effort to get my mind off of my son's new employment and my work as well, I went to the bead store and bought a bunch of really wonderful beads. I've already made one of those thingies that you hook onto the eyepieces of your glasses so they can hang around your neck when you're not weaing them (what *are* those called, anyway?) in pink. The beads are various sizes and shapes of pink matte glass, rose quartz, and pink stone that I can't remember the mineral name for - it has black and white bands in it, and silver metallic hearts.

Tomorrow I make the one from all the blue and white chinese porcelain beads. Then I'll do the lavender one. I may make one from an old turquoise necklace, too. I don't ever wear it so this would be a way to get use of it again.

I love crafts - I've done so many of them and wish I had more time to do them still. Beading and needlecrafts were always my favorite. It's nice to have something to do that's creative but stressless.

OK, 'nuff for tonight. I'll try to post again soon. Thanks for hanging in there during the wait.