If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.  ~Eleonora Duse

We are surrounded by the beauty of nature every day. It is free, available and takes nothing from us. Instead it only asks for us to open our eyes and enjoy. The work I do in the garden is a labor of love; a respite from the demands of the world.

Your slice of nature may be a sprawling country home with majestic gardens or a city park; even a potted plant in your window will do. Whenever you need a reminder to be grateful for all this life has to offer, immerse yourself in nature and be reminded…

• NO SNORING = Better sleep, quieter TV watching and a less ornery wife.
• Less laundry = Less work – I did not realize that he dirtied twice as many clothes as I do.
• More choices = Mushrooms, squash, onions, peppers, eggplant, sweet potato, spinach, celery, artichokes, asparagus, potato salad, macaroni salad, egg salad, tuna and any condiment other than ketchup are now on the menu!
• Less messes = No messy dresser, no pile on the counter & no dirty shoes on my clean floor.
• More closet space = Hello, what girl doesn’t want more closet space.
• Less groceries = More money to spend on clothes to fill the aforementioned closet!
• Master bedroom/bathroom all to myself = Lavender linen spray, candle burning while I am reading and rosemary mint bathroom cleaner.

This does not mean for one second that I would not give these things up to have him back, but as long as he is gone I might as well live it up!

I have decided after mulling over how best to share the ups and downs of this continuing saga, to start an online diary so to speak called Guard Wife. I will continue to post occasional lessons learned and that sort of thing here, but wanted to keep the daily “drama” separate. If you are interested, please take a look.

On this 4^th of July weekend I am grateful to celebrate the birth of my beloved country. With all its flaws and shortcomings, it is still the “Home of the Free and the Brave.” Nearly every other day of the year we take for granted the freedoms and rights that we have available to us simply by virtue of being born a United States citizen. I have the right to vote, to speak out in dissent, to a free education, to a fair trial and representation, to choose my religion or to have none and most importantly the right to choose my path, my career and where I live.

I step outside my door and send my children off to school without fear of roadside bombings. My daughters have the same options and choices as my sons. I am not my husband’s property; in fact I own property and have my own money. We do not live in some utopia or Garden of Eden. There are problems to be sure; major ones that must be addressed. But I sleep peacefully at night comfortable in my safety and wake each morning knowing that I am FREE and it is a beautiful thing indeed.

While you are celebrating this holiday and enjoying parades, picnics and fireworks, please for a moment stop and think about those men and women who for 234 years have guaranteed you’re your right to do so. Remember the 3 million service members who protect us, including the 124,000 guard and reservists who are currently deployed away from their homes and families. Many of these soldiers do not get a day off to celebrate with their family and friends. They work through their holiday and in fact many like my husband do not even get to call home. So please have fun, be safe, rejoice and be grateful.