500 Shades of Green

It is always wonderful, driving out to see Julie in West Virginia. Any route taken between the Hampton Roads area and the area just north of Charleston will take you through gorgeous valleys and up and down breath-taking mountains. This was my third time making the trek, and it will most likely be my last. She got married yesterday and is moving far away. I was so blessed to be able to spend her last single night with her, help her find and install her earrings, unexpectedly get to drive her to the church, and be there when she said her vows. Walking down the aisle as her bridesmaid to a bagpipe playing... that was just an extra bonus. Julie is rather in love with her family's Scottish heritage, and I am too. I've always been kinda nuts about Britain. I have English and Irish in my ancestry, so between us, we make up a great country.

I can't even describe how fun it was to drive through the forests, alternately illuminated in brilliant sunshine or clouded over in low, wispy clouds or enveloped in lighting storms and cascades of rainfalls. The worst part was on the way back, going down a 7% grade slope in torrential rain that made seeing the car in front of me nearly impossible. I don't think I've ever been more afraid! I gripped the wheel with tight fists and prayed. I had already experienced a bit of mild hydroplaning in the flat part of 64 just east of Charleston (going very carefully), so the thought of not being able to stop in time was... fresh in my mind. But after surviving the storm and nearing Charlottesville, the sun poked out and a giant, vivid rainbow filled up the sky in front of me as the many greens of the trees and fields were lit up golden-green all around. Just in case I didn't have enough weather, I was treated to a sudden and violent display of lightning straight ahead as I was homing in on Hampton Roads in the darkness of 9-10pm. Such beauty!

What made the trip there and back even more fun was the long, uninterrupted time I had to listen to Switchfoot. I have practically everything they've ever released on my phone, so I just selected them from "artists" and let it go. It was so neat to sing along... their lyrics are rather soul-searching, philosophical and sometimes satirical. Very deep feelings involved usually, since a few of their releases have coincided with certain times of my life appropriately. The angry album, just when my friends rejected me (I couldn't listen to all of that one this time... I was too happy... and I didn't like thinking about it as a yuppy word); the hopeful one just as I was joining the Navy and knowing it would be hard (Hello, Hurricane). I listened to most of it straight through... here are a few of the lesser-listened-to-favorites:

You (from The Legend of Chin) and Chem 6A and Home

The ENTIRE New Way to Be Human album

You Already Take Me There/ Playing for Keeps from Learning to Breathe

and on the newer side of things, The Sound in My Mouth (recently discovered)

All this doesn't even touch on the brand new Fading West/ The Edge of the Earth stuff that I AM IN LOVE WITH. Also, Vice Verses is pretty fantastic. Good grief. I love it all. I didn't even lose my voice! Amazed.

But what was really awesome about being there (besides seeing Julie and her family again) was that I got to meet or get to know her other best friends who were also bridesmaids. We had a GRAND time.

Jw

And April.

I flew again on Easter (April 5th). It was my third time, and it was right before my church's service at 5pm. Learned all about flaps and airspeed. It was so much fun, as always. I had just finished reading my friend's new book, Black Dove,White Raven, moments before heading off for my scheduled flight. I can't tell you how monstrously fun that was to go from book to air to church. There was this one passage (I just found it again! p. 319!)...

"I shoved the power on and my heart soared along with the plane."

...that's near the heart-wrenching ending, and my heart soared along with the character. Now it will be much easier to keep straight in my mind that you push the throttle IN for more power and pull it out for less, which is usually hard for me to do. Oh, my goodness, that book though. There was a bang in the beginning of tender feelings and love and loss, and the middle bogged me down a little with details, but the ending (or the last third) made me glued to it, desperate to know what happens. And it did not disappoint.

After a lovely time at church with a friend from the ship who visited for the first time, and with my small group friends at the Easter dinner afterwords (I brought a pie I made)... I took off for home to quickly pack my bag so I could head up to Washington D.C. As all this was so highly anticipated, driving until 11 or so at night was NOT a problem. I'm think it helped me be able to sleep when I got to my hotel. Boy, did I feel like I was 25 again! It was nearly as exciting!

First thing in the morning I drove to the back gate of Arlington National Cemetery through the fort (because I am special and have military id). At 0800, the guard opened the gate and I walked through the ceremonial entrance to the Tomb of the Unknowns. Besides the always-on-duty-guard, I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE. It was too soon for the first tour bus to bring a load of tourists. Lord, that was a good moment. When the buses started coming, I took off, ascending the hill to Lee's Arlington House. On the way out, I saw the ceremonial guards of the Third Army with their horses and rifles... and a flag-draped casket. There was a service going on inside the chapel and all were waiting for it to conclude.

Drove back to the hotel and I caught the bus to the Metro rail that dumped me out a block or so from the Air & Space Museum in the National Mall so that I walked up one minute before it opened at 0959. Rather perfect planning and timing, if you ask me. :) So I first looked at the Wright Brothers exhibit, which was unparalleled, and then proceeded on to the other early pioneers. Spent two hours in that lovely building before heading across the Mall to the National Gallery, which I can only describe as a thousand pleasures. I'd turn the corner inside and be struck dumb with yet MORE great art. The last thing I saw was the Library of Congress, and that was because my feet were very tired and I needed to relax. It was a brilliantly sunny day, so by 2pm the sun was pounding on me as I trudged up and down and around the Mall.

Recharging briefly back at the hotel, I changed into my uniform for the evening, which happened to include a sweater and a skirt! How I laughed at myself! It was so warm out! But the sweater came in handy a few times... it felt rather nice as I ate outside in the shade at a restaurant across the street from the bookstore, and after everything was over, it felt Heavenly as I visited the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials all lit up in the blackness of the night.

Meeting Elizabeth was incredibly fun, and we were able to chat briefly before her presentation, and afterwords too for maybe 15-20 minutes as I maneuvered my way to the back of the book-signing line. It was so fun to be in a room full of CNV fans... but I was astonished that none of them mentioned what I was wearing! I surely would have! And I was so glad they all politely left after getting their books signed!

Next day I saw three things. First, drove in the main entrance of Arlington this time to look at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial... which I had not seen before. It was fabulous, and I'm thinking of submitting a little blurb about myself for their archives. Then I checked out the other Air & Space museum... the Udvar-Hazy Center near the Dulles airport... and was boggled. There were simply too many awesome planes for one building. It was sheer pleasure to look around everywhere. Lastly, before heading home, I stopped by Manassas National Battlefield (for the 2nd time - first time ten years ago). Wandered around taking pictures and sat down under a tree to listen to the birds, rest, and think about the war.

If this wasn't enough excitement, Saturday the 11th held out hope. Mom and Dad came to visit me at my new little apartment for just over three days. We didn't do a whole lot, besides going out to eat, watching the IMAX film Living in the Age of Airplanes at the museum in Hampton, TV shows on Netflix and Acorn at home, and Cinderella at the local Cinema Cafe. The best part though, was just sitting and chatting. And being able to have them stay at my place! But they were able to watch my team give honors at a funeral at the Veteran's Cemetery in Suffolk on Monday and they greatly enjoyed seeing what I've been doing in the Navy these last few months.

I also managed to read quite a bit... finished up the Jasper Fford book The Well of Lost Plots, re-read 30 Seconds Over Tokyo on the 73rd anniversary of the attack (April 18th), began Sarah Helm's book on Ravensbrück, started Agatha Christie's N or M? and blazed through A Little Princess like there was no tomorrow. I am sad that I didn't read that as a kid... I was usually put off by books because they always caused my older sisters to not want to play with me. Meg told me it was good... I just never bothered.

And concerts! April 23rd I went to the Virginia International Tattoo for the second time (previously in 2013), and greatly enjoyed the bagpipes and the bands. Last night, I saw the symphony perform 9 selections from Disney's 1940 & 2000 Fantasias live. They had a big screen overhead showing the shorts they were playing, and it was incredibly fun to laugh out loud at the symphony! One woman not far from me exclaimed "Oh, God!" quite loudly during a pause in the Dance of the Hours as the elephants were coming out. LOL!

Jw

Where Have I Been?

I've been flying over Scotland, in prison in France, chasing sky-pirates in the Un-United Kingdoms and thinking way too much about the Nazis. I'm just now getting back to Virginia. I'm very happy to be becoming good friends with some really neat people from my local church. And I'm longing for home and missing my husband. Work has been very busy, but it's also a very big blessing and honor. It was a rough week though. I lost my dog on Sunday. He was 12.

I've moved into my third temporary home in Virginia this weekend. It's really a neat little one-and-a-half bedroom apartment on the first floor (which is terribly exciting for me) and I'm loving setting it up and settling down. My Navy friends helped me move the big things again (they did it back in December too) and I moved all the little things myself. The mover people are emptying out my storage unit tomorrow, so I will finally be put together again after being back from deployment for three-and-a-half months. And I am living alone and without stairs for the first time... ever. I am really excited for this year and where it will take me.

I've been sorta consumed by a pair of books I read mid-way through deployment. But suddenly I feel like I'm getting over them a bit after finishing my fan-fiction. I still do think about them a lot and I'll never fully recover from them... I can't, and I don't want to. It's been six months since I've read them. Yeah, they are that good. It's WWII, friendship and resilience.

I've experimented lately with music, branching out from my Christian-only (ish - I do love the '60s stuff my husband loves) past. Don't misunderstand - I still love my music that celebrates God and his love - what's better than that? But I'm also enjoying the independent sounds of things that make me think of Scotland and more randomly (not possible? LOL!), a little Ingrid Michaelson, Taylor Swift, Jasmine Thompson, David Guetta/Sia, Weird Al, Lorde and Imagine Dragons.

The Verizon guy just set up my Internet a couple hours ago. I'm loving my new place!
Jw

Back-Dated

I've noticed, since I've been back, that I've really left off blogging, favoring writing everything interesting on Facebook instead. While that's probably a better way to share with my friends, it leaves stuff out and doesn't create the lovely archive of my life that blogger does. So, I'm going to record a little bit of the early part of the year here and go over things I missed.

January 18th, the Seahawks won an unbelievable championship game that included a $5 bet between my husband and I about a certain first down. That spectacular ending made the Seahawks represent for me that Galaxy Quest sentiment... Never Give Up, Never Surrender. Why should I feel like giving up? Because I realized that I'm not really home yet. I've been longing for home since 2011. Coming back from deployment has crystallized this in my mind. I may have had a couple break-downs these first few months this year, but Mike has been there (on the phone) through them all. Actually, I feel like writing everything down today (it's May 2nd) because I have been going through it these last couple days. And I already feel a little better, looking back at everything.

On the 19th, I visited the Norfolk Botanical Garden for the first time, walked around for a few hours and sat down every now and then to read one of my Christmas presents from Mike, A Higher Call. It was a gorgeous day... and there's a Facebook album. This book actually led me to discover the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach (really near me). I decided to drive out there January 25th, and was absolutely wow'd by everything. They had four separate hangers full of WWI - WWII aircraft, all privately owned.

And then my heart nearly exploded when I received a box of books and a card from a wonderful lady on Jan. 21. I am not used to being able to communicate with my favorite authors; this is because I mostly love reading history and classics. C.S. Lewis, Beatrix Potter, Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë can't write back. So finding such a deep connection with a real, live, living person through reading four of her books and everything she had said so openly online was quite shocking and wonderful. And she turned out to be incredibly friendly. Finished reading The Sunbird on the 27th (it was in the box), and anticipated finishing the other two before her next came out on my brother's birthday (two months away). We had been emailing since my dad's birthday in December... the strange timing! and nine days beforehand she invited me to meet her at a book-signing in April.

Oh, I just looked back at Twitter, and on the 24th, I went to the symphony to see Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony (1829) with Navy friends at Regent University. And on the 25th I watched the film The Silence of the Sea from 1949. And on the 26th I watched The Book Thief. WWII, every time, all the time. Loved them. Now that I think of it, it was the first few weeks of February that the new season of Foyle's War came out on acorn.tv. So I watched them all and was amazed, like usual. Especially the last episode about SOE stuff.

On the 27th, I shared this photo that I took outside my temporary Apartment complex by Greenbrier Mall - on December 24! Don't know why I waited a month to share it, but whatev's. My Jr. High band director paid me a huge compliment by becoming the first person to buy a picture from me, he liked it so much.

On the 31st, I got a last minute ticket to see Beethoven's Ode to Joy at the symphony downtown and they started with William's Fantasia (from Master and Commander) and it caught me off guard. Had to dry my eyes in the restroom during intermission. It is etched in my mind with the movie... when they lose one of their crew at sea during the storm.

February. I started following Corrie Ten Boom (on facebook) on the 5th. The first wonderful post I saw:

“I’ve experienced His presence in the deepest darkest hell that men can create. I have tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them. I know that Jesus Christ can live in you, in me, through His Holy Spirit. You can talk with Him; you can talk with Him out loud or in your heart when you are alone, as I was alone in solitary confinement. The joy is that He hears each word.” -Corrie ten Boom "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord." -Psalm 31:24

I think I needed to hear this again this morning. (I say morning and it's 2pm... slept in till noon today)

On Feb 6th, I had a wonderful sushi and wine date with my two Sonar Girls from the ship. Got to visit a new house and meet a new dog!

Feb 11th I watched the film Ragamuffin on Netflix and the Lord used it to tell me he loved me and I didn't need to have a complex about not being best friends with anyone besides my husband. (Okay, that hurt to write down.) And I gave it over to him for the first time. I've taken it back a few times since, but I'm trying to let go.

Next day, more tears. Like I said... it's been wild this year. Women Warriors of WWII.

Then I checked out the neat independent bookstore in downtown Norfolk... Prince Books. Ordered one of Jasper Fford's and bought King Ottokar's Scepter for the fun of it. Also found a WWII Reader's Digest book that had this incredible POW's poem in it:

"When twilight calls and silence calls To evening prayer. Fair forms and hover near About my chair. Soft hands entwine themselves in mine. Lips touch my face; Then miles are not and time's forgot, As souls embrace."

On the 16th, I visited the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preservation in Portsmouth that I had found out about at a symphony concert before deployment. Another Facebook photo album and absolute joy in a walk in the woods.

There had been a lot of snow and freezing temperatures throughout Feb. & Mar. On the 19th, with everything caked in snow, I went back downtown to pick up my book and greatly enjoyed starting it at a restaurant on the waterfront... crab salad and coffee!

Also, either that night or the night before I had a wonderful time hanging out with a few of the women from church. I had joined a small group at the very end of 2014, meeting a mutual friend of Kristin's. And I hit it off with them immediately. It was a gift from the Lord.

Not sure exactly when, but I spent a great deal of time the first part of March helping out my friends Kristin and Dan who were moving away to Utah mid-month. I found out when I came back from liberty on December 2nd. K & D have been the ONLY people I knew here in Virginia since moving here in the summer of 2012. They were home base. I had my first sangria with Kristin on her deck a couple weeks after moving. We watched John Adams together. And later on, Arn the Templar Knight as well. They were my only refuge here, away from the Navy for two years. I was at their house when they brought their adopted baby Sawyer home on Christmas Eve. One of the first people on earth to hold him. :) So it was difficult to let them go. I painted the railings on their deck and helped them pack. I also took care of their dog and their chickens whenever they needed me to. I loved house-sitting for them. It is so quiet out in the country.

Jw