I just found this prompt in the blogosphere by clicking around, so here I go with my first Friday Fill-In for military spouses!
What is your spouse’s best feature?
his lovely blue eyes, of course :)
Mild, Medium or Hot sauce?
Extra mild, please.
What is the worst uniform you had to wear for a job?
Bob Evans. I was a hostess. High neck long sleeved blouse with a long double-knit polyester skirt. OY.
You have invisible powers… where is the first place you would go?
England!
What’s left on your “to do” list for this summer?
Register my middle schooler (Tuesday), then a train trip to visit my dad and his wife in New Mexico. Everything else is for the kids, all for the kids!
Upon the recommendation of my friend Dana, I read Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasures this week. I finished it last night, and I really enjoyed it.
Berg is a writer like no other. She has a way of describing that is wonderful and unique. One of my favorite phrases is "sausage-and-egg voice." I mean, really. That's just awesome.
I think finding the pleasure and joy in everyday life is what we should all be doing, every day.
Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!
This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.
ABOUT THE BOOK
After a tour of duty in a war-torn country, embattled former Navy SEAL Max Jacobs finds himself discarded and alienated from those he loves as he struggles with war-related PTSD. His wife, Sydney, files a restraining order against him and a petition for divorce. Max is devastated.
Then a mysterious a man appears. He says he's organizing a group that recycles veterans like Max. It's a deep-six group known as Nightshade. With the chance to find purpose in life once again, Max is unable to resist the call of duty and signs on.
The team handles everything with precision and lethal skill...until they're called upon to rescue a missionary family from a rebel-infested jungle and avoid a reporter hunting their identities.
Will Max yield his anger and pride to a force greater than him...love?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Nightshade, go HERE.
Watch the trailer:
Pattie's Review:
Oh wow! I literally stayed up till early this morning to finish this book. I could not put it down and I knew I could not sleep until I finished. It was a riveting story. At first, as usual with a large cast of characters, I was grateful for the list at the front of the book. After awhile, though, I could keep everyone--and their military handles--straight.
Ronie Kendig has done a fabulous job of blending a little romance and a lot of military jargon into a riveting story.
Fans of Dee Henderson's True Valor series will probably enjoy this book, although I must say that Ronie's novel is much more military ops than romance. I'd rate the graphic description level at PG-13, which is more than the usual Christian fiction, but less than say, Stephen King.
This week's Faith Friday is about me. Or you. But you can write about you on your blog; this one's mine! ;)
My real name is Pattie, not Patricia. My dad named me and made the spellings of both my first and middle names different from the norm.
My husband started out as an Air Force Reserve chaplain, and because it was soooo part-time I didn't really bother learning about military stuff. In retrospect, this seems sort of dumb. So I have only been paying attention to the military for a little over four years now.
I may occasionally gripe about being short, but I like my height. I'm 5'3"
I adore Facebook. It's fun and a great way to stay connected to people.
I love the theatre. I'd love to be involved in community theatre on a large scale someday.
I love reading. It's my favorite fun activity.
I do not enjoy exercise. However, I'm hoping to get into some classes at the gym on base once I get settled in Texas.
I need external motivation to accomplish goals. I keep giving myself deadlines, and then extending them for myself!
My daughters have great rhythm and grace and dance beautifully. I can't dance.
I enjoy blogging. I think it's the feedback aspect of this very public style of writing that appeals to me. However, I've never had a large readership. I keep referring people on to my friends! (and for those friends who read this: you're welcome.)
I'm a nice person. I can be snarkastic (snarky + sarcastic, thanks Lorelai Gilmore!) with the best of them, but generally I am a very nice, helpful person.
I'm a weird mix of introvert and extrovert. I love people and being with friends, but I crave alone time and if I don't get it, I'm crabby.
If I don't eat regularly, I get very, very crabby.
I like tote bags and have way too many.
My favorite t-shirt right now is the one that says "Ma" on the front, and "Little House on the Prairie: the Musical" on the back. It's a very pretty shade of green.
When I was in college all I wanted to do was teach. Then I taught for almost 11 years. After a four-year break, I'm only just now starting to wish I could teach again. That's how burned out I was.
I am passionate about Wives of Faith. It's a wonderful ministry to be involved with. I hope to always support and encourage other military wives for as long as the Lord allows my husband to serve. Come over and visit :)
I was so nervous when Emily at Focus on the Family interviewed me on the phone for the radio show featuring Sara Horn. I was shaking in my chair!
I love dogs. It's a rare dog that doesn't love me back.
I've decided if I were to go back to school for another degree, it'd be a Masters of Library Science, so I could be a librarian!
After living in North Dakota for four years, I got to where I was only comfortable eating ice cream in the summertime. Why freeze your body on the inside when it's already frozen on the outside? ;)
The other night, my sister-in-law and I went out to Cold Stone Creamery. YUM. I had a "Germanchokolatkake" (I think that's how you spell it), chocolate ice cream with walnuts, a brownie, and coconut all mixed in. It was delectable!
I have been TDY the past four weeks. It stinks. I do not like being away from my handsome Chaplain Hubby!
I have been busy working on some projects for Wives of Faith. I'm so the Jane of all Trades and Mistress of None! I can't seem to focus long enough to finish any one thing. But I continue to plug along and write when inspiration strikes.
I've been reading a book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It's interesting so far, very good and very thought-provoking.
I have decided I adore stories of women making changes in their lives.
I need a major attitude adjustment. Thankfully, in less than two weeks I'll be "home."
I say "home" in quotes, and picture me using those finger air quotes while I say it. Because we moved and less than one week later, we were back on the road to the inlaws' house so my oldest could take ballet classes. While I'm so glad she had this opportunity, it means we're feeling quite displaced and at odds with ourselves. I am looking forward to getting to the rental house and making it feel like home. Plus, when we're all four together, we ARE home. No matter the address.
My friend Dana is always good for a book recommendation. This latest one is no exception. I picked up my own copy of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project yesterday and I'm engrossed in it already.
I completely identify with the author's position: I'm generally a happy person, but I could be more appreciative and happier in general. She says, "I'm happy, but not as happy as I should be."
I have blessings galore, but often feel an emotional sort of malaise. I don't know if I'm just a malcontent, or a latent pessimist, or what my problem is.
Hence, this book and this project.
Yesterday I purchased the book after spending time wandering around Barnes & Noble (a happy time for me). Then my youngest daughter and I went to Joann's craft store and wandered around. I ended up finding yarn on sale--it's from the Debbie Stoller (of Stitch & Bitch fame) line. I also found a free crochet pattern for a striped scarf, and I decided to make it with the two instead of the four colors. I'm not really a crocheter, but since I thought it might be faster than knitting, I went ahead and started it yesterday.
One thing that also makes me happy is starting new projects. My problem generally comes in the middle, when I can't see the end and get discouraged. But finishing things also makes me happy, so let's see if we can figure out the happies in the middle of things.
Today's episode of Focus on the Family will be online for about 30 days or so. You can click on this link, then click on the title of the broadcast to listen online.
My voice is at the beginning. It's a little odd to hear myself talking outside my head...
May God be glorified and His people encouraged through our words today.
Thanks to Sara for the opportunity to help over at Wives of Faith, and also thanks to Emily from Focus on the Family for finding my chaplain's wife blog and interviewing me on the phone.
Today's episode of Focus on the Family will be online for about 30 days or so. You can click on this link, then click on the title of the broadcast to listen online.
My voice is at the beginning. It's a little odd to hear myself talking outside my head...
May God be glorified and His people encouraged through our words today.
Thanks to Sara for the opportunity to help over at Wives of Faith, and also thanks to Emily from Focus on the Family for finding this blog and interviewing me on the phone.
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY HONORS OUR TROOPS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
BY SERVING THEIR FAMILIES
Colorado Springs, CO -- The military and political impact of our troops gets media coverage everyday, but what about its effect on the lives of the military wives and children? Focus on the Family's newest interactive webcast,YOUR FAMILY LIVE! is inviting all active duty, reserve and retired military families to view and take part in a very special webcast honoring military families on Wednesday, July 7th at 2PM ET.
Viewers can log on to www.YourFamilyLive.com to watch the webcast live, actively participate by calling 1-888-465-6595 with question pertaining to military family life, or post a question to a live, online forum at www.focusonlinecommunities.com. The program is also archived for later viewing on the site.
The panel will include: Yvette Maher, Host & Sr. Vice President of Family Ministry; Dr. Juli Slattery, Family Psychologist at Focus on the Family; Mrs. Sara Horn, Founder and President of Wives of Faith, a national support organization for military wives; withCindy Wynn of Club Beyond/Military Community Youth Ministries; andLes Knotts, Lt. Colonel US Army (Retired) and U.S. West Field Director of Club Beyond/Military Community Youth Ministries,helping teens on U.S. military installations around the world.
Those are just a few of the many freedoms I take for granted.
Obviously with my husband in the ministry, I am sensitive to the fact that we are all able to worship as we choose. Not everyone chooses to worship the God I love, and that's ok. God allows us free will, and for that I'm also grateful (and often frustrated, but that's another story!).
I am proud of my husband's ministry, his service, and his work. Not all evangelical Christians support his mission, I have found. However, the mission of upholding the Constitutional right to free exercise of religion is very important.