A Few of FR's Finest...Every Day...12-06,07-03...Week in Review

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997. Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

To Our FReeper FRiends: We hope you've been having as much fun as we have with our essays and/or spotlight on various FReepers. We thought we'd kick back on the weekends and simply review the features of the week. If you missed seeing them and want to say hello there now, feel free to click on the link to that particular thread. If you'd like to drop in and out of this thread today and tomorrow, please feel free to do that also. One of us will always be around to see the welcome mat is still out, and maybe even put fresh flowers on the table. ~ Billie

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"Getting to Know You"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS


12-01-03............................................. Military Monday
By BILLIE

12-02-03......... Holiday Contest Thread: Rumsfeld Doll
By FREETHEHOSTAGES

12-03-03... FReepets: deadhead's Lucy ("I Love Lucy")
By DUTCHESS, GIZMO and BILLIE

12-04-03........................................... John's Two Cents
"54 Fedayeen get creamed;
Democrat outpouring of anger over loss"
By JOHNHUANG2; Presented by AQUAMARINE

12-05-03.......................... Name That (FReeper) Santa!
By BILLIE

Have a wonderful weekend!

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact dansangel
or .45Man at
danbh59@yahoo.com
and include
Freeper Photo Album
in subject line.

[MEG33]

WOW.Where are you?

[Calpernia]

>>>Cal, going sleigh riding with the young ones?

If it STOPS snowing, yes. You have nasty wind gusts by you? It is pretty dangerous here. Heavy winds and snow, not much visibility.

[Calpernia]

Thanks for the coffee!

[cyborg]

add me to your ping list... I'm trapped here. FReeping away with my high speed access while watching tv,drinking coffee and scratching my dog's belly with my foot

[deadhead]

"Heavy winds and snow, not much visibility."

Just saw a news report about the Jersey turnpike and Newark airport, not much visibility is right! Winds starting up here, snowing. Beginning to have that "Blizzard" feeling. My pup Lucy loves the snow, gonna take her out for a little while.

Meg, I am on Long Island. The live cam I posted is Gilgo Beach, about a 15 minute ride from me.

[MEG33]

I can count 4or 5 memorable snow days in Texas in my long life here! Never have I seen a foot of snow in Texas.Have a good time in it if you can.Stay warm.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Morning, dollbear. No snow here....yipeeee!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

[deadhead]

Sharing a little of the snow with you :-) Sending Get Well Prayers for you Wolfie.

[The Thin Man]

Of course TTM couldn't stand the hostesses having a song and had to add his own...
 

[Temple Owl]

We're getting the same stuff in SE Pa. Ugh!

[ST.LOUIE1]

LOL!! I'll get ya for that, Colleen! : (

Thank you, prayers are greatly appreciated. : )

[Dubya]

The Many Names of Christ

To the ARTIST He is the One Altogether Lovely.
To the ARCHITECT He is the Chief Corner Stone.
To the BAKER He is the Living Bread.
To the BANKER He is the Hidden Treasure.
To the BIOLOGIST He is the Life.
To the BUILDER He is the Sure Foundation.
To the CARPENTER He is the Door.
To the DOCTOR He is the Great Physician.
To the EDUCATOR He is the Great Teacher.
To the ENGINEER He is the New and Living Way.
To the FLORIST He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.
To the GEOLOGIST He is the Rock of Ages.
To the HORTICULTURIST He is the True Vine.
To the JUDGE He is the Righteous Judge, Judge of All Men.
To the JEWELER He is the Pearl of Great Price.
To the LAWYER He is the Counselor, the Lawgiver, the Advocate.
To the NEWSPAPER He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
To the OCULIST He is the Light of the Eyes.
To the PHILANTHROPIST He is the Unspeakable Gift.
To the PHILOSOPHER He is the Wisdom of God.
To the PREACHER He is the Word of God.
To the SCULPTOR He is the Living Stone.
To the SERVANT He is the Good Master.
To the STATESMAN He is the Desire of All Nations.
To the STUDENT He is the Incarnate Truth.
To the THEOLOGIAN He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
To the TOILER He is the Giver of Rest.
To the SINNER He is the Lamb of God
that takes away the sins of the World.
To the CHRISTIAN He is the Son of the Living God,
the Savior, the Redeemer and the Lord!

[Dubya]

Don't go for looks, they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile.
There are moments in life
when you really miss someone
that you want to pick them up
from your dreams and hug them.
Hope you dream of that someone.

Dream what you want to dream,
go where you want to go,
be what you want to be,
because you have only one life
and one chance to do all the things
you want in life.

May you have...
Enough happiness to make you sweet
Enough trials to make you strong
Enough sorrow to keep you human
Enough hope to make you happy
And enough money to buy gifts.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens.
But we often took so long at the closed door,
that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

The best kind of friend is the one
you could sit on a porch, swing with,
never saying a word and then walk away feeling
like that was the best conversation you've had.

It's true that we don't know
what we've got until we lose it,
but it's also true that we don't know what
we've been missing until it arrives.

Always put yourself in other's shoes.
If you feel that it hurts you,
it probably does hurt the person too.

A careless word may kindle a strife;
A cruel word may wreck a life
A timely word may level stress
A lovely word may heal and bless.

The beginning of love is to let those we love
be perfectly themselves and
not to twist them with our own image,
otherwise we love only the reflection
of ourselves we find in them.

The happiest people don't necessarily
have the best of everything,
they just make the most of everything
that comes along the way.

Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people
before meeting the right one so that
when we finally meet the right person,
we should know how to be grateful for that gift.

It takes a minute to have a crush on someone,
an hour to like someone and a day to love someone
- but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Happiness lies for those who cry,
those who hurt,
those who have searched
and those who have tried.
For only they can appreciate the importance
of people who have touched their lives.

Love is when you take away the feeling,
the passion, the romance
and find out you still care for that person.

A sad thing about life is that when you meet
someone who means a lot to you
only to find out in the end that it was never
bound to be and you just have to let go.

Love starts with a smile,
develops with a kiss
and ends with a tear.

Love comes to those who still hope
even though they've been disappointed,
to those who still believe
even though they've been betrayed,
need to love those who still love,
even though they've been hurt before.

It hurts to love someone,
and not to be loved in return
but what is most painful is to love someone
and never finds the courage
to let the person know how you feel.

The brightest future will always
be based on a forgotten past.
You can't go on well in life until you let go
of your past failures and heartaches.

Never say goodbye when you still want to try;
Never give up when you still feel you can take it;
Never say you don't love that person anymore
when you can't let go.

Giving someone all your love
is never an assurance that they'll love you back.
Don't expect love in return,
just wait for it to grow in their hearts
but if it doesn't,
be content it grew in yours.

There are things you love to hear
but you would never hear it from
the person whom you would like to hear it from,
but don't be deaf to hear it from the person
who says it with his heart.

When you were born, you were crying
and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life to the fullest so that when you die,
you're smiling and everyone around you is crying.

~Author Unknown~

[jwfiv]

GREAT pic of a Texan sunset, Meekie...)

[jwfiv]

Thank you for opening the door to the weekend, Mrs. Bear....)

I know it's snowy and cold for some of us in Freeperville...still, it's a glorious day and it's good to be alive.

Wishin' all the Finest a very fine Saturday afternoon.

[Temple Owl]

Go for someone who makes you smile. There are moments in life when you really miss someone that you want to pick them up from your dreams and hug them. Hope you dream of that someone.

That's my Maggie, the girl I married 44 years ago.;

[GailA]

It turned out to be fairly nice here in Memphis after all.

[GailA]

I am sure that one of our LOVELY hostesses can turn this patriotic snowman into a pledge graphic....

[Dubya]

Hope you dream of that someone.

I'm very glad for you and her.
God bless you both.

[Dubya]

By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 5, 2003 - Peggy Marish-Boos had been
assigned here to the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
for two years when she finally asked, "Why don't we ever
have a Christmas or holiday tree?"

"Somebody said the government doesn't provide funds for
such frivolous things," said Marish-Boos, who back then in
1998 was an Army master sergeant intelligence analyst. So
she bought a tree with her own money. "A couple of people
found out that I'd spent $100 of my own money," she noted,
"so they pitched in."

But a traditionally decorated Christmas tree with colorful
lights and glittering ornaments isn't what Marish-Boos had
in mind. Her idea was to have an ornament-free, lightless
tree decorated with nearly 2,000 3-by-5 cards featuring the
name, rank and date the serviceman became missing in
action. Each card was attached with a ribbon denoting the
war from which the service member was missing.

"Red, white and blue yarn represents MIAs from Vietnam War,
Korean War and the Cold War, respectively," Marish-Boos
explained.

This year, she added a special touch -- photographs of some
of the missing servicemen. Debbie Landon, who works in the
family section of the DPMO communications directorate,
helped decorate.

While attending the National League of Families annual
meeting in 1999, Marish-Boos told the forum about the
recognition tree. She asked them to send her a photograph
of their missing serviceman, which she would attach to the
tree.

So far, only about 10 families have sent pictures. But
Marish-Boos said that's a start, and she hopes to have more
photographs for next year's tree. She puts the pictures in
a plastic keychain and hangs them on the tree with the
name, rank and date the serviceman became missing.

"This gives us a face to put with the name," she noted.
"Some are pictures of the guy in uniform and some are of
the guys when they were younger, taking care of their
brothers or sisters on the farm. It's quite touching."

A sign on the tree reads: "The holiday season is a time for
us all to reflect. The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
regards 'Keeping the Promise' as our solemn duty. It
reflects the spirit and sense of commitment with which we
conduct our daily mission - to return our nation's warriors
to their families. The tree reminds us that there are so
many yet to come home."

"After the first of the year, I take the tree down and
store it for the next year," she noted. "The day after
Thanksgiving, I set it up using the same cards the kids
wrote."

Names of the missing from Vietnam were written in 1998 on
the cards by students from Londontown Elementary School in
Centreville, Va., and Fort Belvoir (Va.) Elementary School,
Marish-Boos noted. "The kids decorated with glitter, bingo
blotters and personalized the cards with their own
handwriting," she said. "Me and a couple of folks in the
office wrote the names from Korean War and Cold War"
missing."

Since there are more than 88,000 servicemen classified by
DoD as missing in action, it's impossible for her to put
all of their names on the holiday tree. Defense records
show that more than 78,000 servicemen are still missing
from World War II, 8,100 from the Korean War, more than
1,800 from the Vietnam War, 123 from the Cold War and three
from Operation Desert Storm.

"The idea was to remind those of us who work here why we do
what we do," said Marish-Boos, now a DoD civilian employee
in the DPMO Public Affairs Office. "Even though we've made
great accomplishments, there are so many more missing
servicemen we have yet to return home.

"So the tree is our reminder - a way to reflect on the
missing," she said. "Our office is the head honcho for the
DoD POW/MIA issue, so it makes sense that that's the kind
of tree we would have - no lights, no fancy ornaments, just
names of the guys who haven't come home yet."

Marish-Boos said everybody falls in love with the tree when
they realize its purpose. "Some visitors said they want to
do the same thing at their American Legion or Veterans of
Foreign Wars post," she said. "I know American Legion Post
101 in Pharr, Texas, has a tree with the names of the
missing in action from Texas."

200312056a.jpg A picture of Army Cpl. Samuel C. "Sam Jr."
Harris when he was about 14 years old holding his younger
sister, Barbara Ann Harris, 2, at their home in
Rogersville, Tenn., around 1946. Harris became missing in
action during the Korean War on Nov. 27, 1950. He was a
member of Company C, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry
Division. His sister, Margie Griswold, submitted the
photograph. The photo, one of about 10 missing servicemen,
is part of this year's POW/MIA Holiday Tree at the Defense
POW/Missing Personnel Office. Photo by Rudi Williams.

200312056a_hr.jpg High resolution photo.

200312056b.jpg This year's POW/MIA Holiday Tree,
affectionately called "Peggy's Christmas Tree" by the staff
at the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, includes
pictures of about 10 missing servicemen. Peggy Marish-Boos,
a retired Army master sergeant, started the holiday tree
tradition in 1998. Pictured on the tree from left to right
clockwise is Master Sgt. Paul T. Embrey, lost during the
Korean War on Nov. 28, 1950; Air Force Master Sgt. Russell
Peter Bott, lost Dec. 2, 1966, during the Vietnam War; Earl
Pearson Hopper Jr., lost date Jan. 10, 1968, during the
Vietnam War, and remains found and identified Jan. 16,
2002; and Army Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Geist, lost Sept. 26,
1967, during the Vietnam War. Photo by Rudi Williams.

200312056b_hr.jpg High resolution photo.

200312056c.jpg Peggy Marish-Boos, left, and Debbie Landon
pose by the "POW/MIA Holiday Tree" they decorated it as a
reminder to people in the Defense POW/Missing Personnel
Office of why they do what they do. At the left is the 2003
National POW/MIA Recognition Day poster. Photo by Rudi
Williams.





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