A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-19 thru 08-21-05....T.G.I.F. at the Finest

Billie

[Billie]

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, Dutchess, Aquamarine, Dolly Cali ~

Welcome to TGIF at the Finest!   We hope you've been having as much fun as we have with our essays and/or spotlight on various FReepers. From the beginning, we've been kicking back on Saturdays and Sundays and simply reviewing the features of the week; our weekend threads now start on Friday and continue through Sunday. If you missed seeing any of this week's threads and want to say hello there now, just click on the link for that particular day. If you'd like to drop in and out of this thread today through Sunday, please feel free to do that also. One of us will try to be around to see the welcome mat is still out, put the coffee pot on, and maybe even bring fresh flowers for the table. : )

~ Billie, Mama_Bear, Dutchess, Aquamarine, Dolly Cali ~



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"Getting to Know You"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS


08-15-05 ~ Military Monday
By Billie
Presented by The Mayor

08-16-05 ~ A Finest Ohio and West Virginia Adventure!
By Mama_Bear, JustAmy, Dutchess, WVNan, DollyCali, PrissyMissy, Babychick
Presented by Mama_Bear

08-17-05 ~ A Finest OH and WV Adventure! Part II
By Mama_Bear, JustAmy, Dutchess, WVNan, DollyCali, PrissyMissy, Babychick
Presented by Mama_Bear

07-28-05 ~ Commission Accomplished
By JohnHuang2
Presented by Dutchess

Have a wonderful weekend!

06-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #12

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.

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

"Wear Red" Friday

You will soon see a lot of people wearing Red on Fridays. Here's why..... The Americans, who support our troops, are the silent majority. We are not "organized" to reflect who we are, or to reflect what our opinions are. Many Americans, like yourself, and all their friends, simply want to recognize that Americans support our troops. Our idea of showing our solidarity and support for our troops is starting Friday and continuing on each and every Friday, until this is over, that every red-blooded American who supports our young men and women, WEAR SOMETHING RED.

Word of mouth, press, TV -- let's see if we can make the United States, on any given Friday, a sea of red much like a home football game at a University. If every one of our memberships share this with other acquaintances, fellow workers, friends, and neighbors, I guarantee that it will not be long before the USA will be covered in RED - and make our troops know there are many people thinking of their well-being. You will feel better all day Friday when you wear Red! So let's get the word out and lead by example; wear RED on Fridays.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE. FOR US, THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED!! GOD BLESS AMERICA.

I received this in my email June 10th, the author is unknown.
I am wearing red today and every Friday ~ Billie

[LadyX]

Absolutely beautiful graphic you've created, Noosie!!

[LadyX]

The Daily Bread offering today asks
"What are your own reactions as you think about the life beyond this life?"

As you know, Rus, in 1985 a kidney biopsy carried the prognosis of my certain demise, probably within two years. The physician who'd treated me before then told my husband that from what he knew of me and saw, "to expect to bury me within 4 or 5 months."

Well!...I had interrupteded the nephrologist when he was giving me the results of the biopsy to say it was all right - that I knew The Great Physician and Whose Timetable it is.
I genuinely meant that, just thankful I had not left this world abruptly through an accident or illness; and whether it was 5 minutes, days or months or years, I had time to relate what I wanted to say to loved ones and friends. As a Christian, this was 'Crunch Time,' and I stood firmly on knowing whatever was ahead, He would give me the strength to deal with it.
(Having worked in and around medicine for 19 years, I had no rosy illusions about the renal road ahead.)

One of course gives a lot of thought then to such a situation, and I sometimes wrote of "where I was" in dealing with it as the years ticked off and I was still working, despite that and other serious problems - it was 9 years before I was sidelined, by the way - and THAT was 11 years ago.
It now is nearly 20 years since The Sentence!

At any rate, in 1987 I penned something relevant to the Daily Bread message.....

RETURNING

I walked in tears,
forgetting You
(grieving more than I)
would hold me up
would I
but ask -
Erasing all my fears.

Hoping I would remember,
You lit the edges
of my tests
with reminders
of Your infinite love
until my heart came back to rest -
filled with wonder!

Clinging to Your promises
and assurances
I grew -
And through the trials
and backward steps,
I knew
that YOU ARE LORD!!

+ + +

I am the bough
that bends in the wind..
the rainbow hue..
The drop of water that first nourishes
and then moves on in
Your River of Life -
flowing steadily now
back to You...

M. M.
~ 1978 ~

He still had things for me to do in His Plan for me..:))

[Just mythoughts]

Yes indeed. There is no other Comfort.

I hope you have a great day.

[The Mayor]

He definately had other plans for you Maggie..

Through Christ alone, I have my trust.

[Colonial Warrior]

"Begging your pardon, Sir, but I must confess while waiting for your reply last night, I dozed off in my chair before the fire!"

MiLadyX,

Aye...and I hope your rest was good.

Hushpuppie and I are both very much under the weather...sleeping as much as we can.

Appreciate you thoughts and kind words...it does the spirit good!

[Colonial Warrior]

Ms Billie will be proud!!

[Diver Dave]

I am a little concerned about him because he is so little.

Chachi should do just fine. The other dog in the class was a little one too. She spent most of her time under "mom's" chair, venturing out to bark at Bailey when he got close, but still cowering under the chair. When it came time for "Cuddles" to display her talents, she nailed it each time. Her grad cap covered her head but they managed to tip it back far enough for the photos.

Almost forgot... I recorded "Pomp and Circumstance" on a hand-held recorder and played it at Graduation Time. :)

[Diver Dave]

A Great Message from Our Daily Bread, Russ.

Found a web site last Friday night with some great Gospel music, including my tag line...

Gospel Music Selections

[Mama_Bear]

Almost forgot... I recorded "Pomp and Circumstance" on a hand-held recorder and played it at Graduation Time. :)

LOL. What we don't do for our pets. :-)

Thanks for easing my mind some about Chachi's upcoming Puppy Class. When we signed him up, he was the only puppy in the class, don't know if there are any now or not. I've been told that part of their "education" is to learn to socialize with other dogs, so we need to have at least one other dog in with him.

Gosh, I hope he does well. It is going to be sooo embarrassing if he flunks out of Puppy School. Actually, I think the teachers are there to train the humans, not the dogs. So, let's hope WE don't flunk out. LOL

[tuliptree76]

Uh oh! I missed Lemonade Day. Thank you for filling in, Maggie.

Just a reminder, today is Spumoni Ice Cream Day,

Statehood Day in Hawaii,

and Bailey is Beautiful Day. :-)

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Besides the beginning of the semester for me, tomorrow is Be An Angel Day.

(Me as an angel)

And speaking of tomorrow, I better get back to my lesson plans. I'll check back later.

[snugs]

Happy Spumoni Ice Cream Day

[LadyX]

"(Me as an angel)"

You ARE an angel..:))

Thank you for seconding my 'Bailey is Beautiful Day'!

[LadyX]

Thank you for your replies.
How blessed we are to know God is in charge,
if we just let Him be!

[Jack Deth]

Hi, tuliptree:

Thirty-three years ago today
I decided to go away
To Lackland Air Force Base of all places
Don the uniform and serve my country well

Basic Training was a blur
Of early days and long, muggy nights
Humid heat and sun accompanies by booted feet
Thank God only a few of us wore pelts of fur!

From Lackland to Chanute as a "Ping"
To learn Jet Engines and the Magic Of Flight
They pushed us through Hard & Fast
We hoped to get deep into the fight!

Instead of Thailand and the RVN
Those much wiser decided to send
Me to Little Rock Air Force Base
The biggest C-130 patch on the planet's face!

Where Short Tour TDYs were Second Nature
Rhine Main, Mildenhall, Ankara, Panama's Big Ditch
Go Out. Come Home. Get Settled. Go Back Out
Just like Falling Off A Log or Turning On A Switch

ETS from The Rock to Andrews and the Reserves
1976 was a bad year for my nerves
With many trips back to Honduras and Panama
Kind of like Saigon and '75. With half the drama.

Lockheed's Herkies came and went
I guess it was money well spent
When our C-141s made the scene in Eighty One
Though, maintenance wise, they weren't much fun!

Twelve years of fat budgets and good times under Reagan
To places all over the world, religious and pagan
Then eight years of Misery under Bill
Left our Unit nearly Dead and in need of a Magic Pill.

Supporting the Secret Service on all their jaunts
With lots of tax dollars they did flaunt
All over the globe on "Fact Finding Tours" and Trips
While our budget was strangled from a stream to a drip!

That time's over. Saints Be Praised!
The Old Hands are gone and the youngsters are amazed
Going from C-141s to KC-135s
With money left over is a miracle in this day and age!

Jack Deth~ 08/21/05.

[tuliptree76]

Thanks, Maggie. :-)

[tuliptree76]

Thank you, Jack!

[EsmeraldaA]

OHH Jack, that was a little of getting to know you in a wonderful way.

Thanks for the Ping :-)

[DollyCali]

neet post tuliptree!

so where is Winston's pix in that grouping? we all sneak our pets in when we can.

YOur break is over already? It just seemed to start a few days ago

Just got in ...VERY long tiring day & the next couple will be the same.

What a fun weekend thread this has been, have really enjoyed everyone's input along the way

[Just mythoughts]

"Thank you for your replies.
How blessed we are to know God is in charge,
if we just let Him be!"


Smile.

He has a way of kicking us out of
the way, when we get in His way.

Sometimes a nudge and other times
a big huge shove.

[tuliptree76]

Thanks, Dolly. :-)

Here's Winston...

Since I had exams and papers and teaching this summer, I didn't get much of a break. It was only two weeks. Now it's back to work, so I'll be busy once again.