My Veteran

Sunny and mild all day. We tossed and turned last night; both of us had been on our feet/knees too long and they were paying us back. Today we sat a lot. It took over an hour to get this shot. There were so many shadows washing it out. The portrait was taken when hubby was commissioned and the shadow box was presented at his retirement ceremony. The Navy allowed him to get his degree (on his dime) and later sent him to the Naval Postgraduate School to get his Masters. As a surface warfare officer, he left his family behind often and sailed across the Atlantic to protect our freedoms. Those absences cost him his marriage so he gave our country and the Navy a great deal during his 22 years of service. Folks don’t realize these men and women suffer many kinds of service-related wounds. Hubby usually participates in our local Veteran’s Day parade. Next year…. I proudly honor all Veterans. As a civilian working with military members for 35 years, I have seen what they do every day for us. Hubby did his exercises and applied heat, then ice to his knee a few times. At one point, he realized the pain had subsided (temporarily). But that felt good while it lasted. He worked on software updates on our computers and phones and napped. I placed more Christmas orders, updated my records and helped my mother plan her purchases. She recognizes that her memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be and gets confused easily. My daughter’s family was away for the day; I also had Trek duty. Thanks for the visit and thanks to those who have posted veteran related blips. Stay safe. “Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans Day.” - Charles B. Rangel