[Billie]

[Billie]

Good Monday Morning to FR's Finest. Hope this day is the beginning of a wonderful week for all of you.

Have to post and run - will be back in a couple of hours.

[GailA]

Good MORNING ALL

Coffee's on

[Pippin]

Hi, Billie!

[Pippin]

HOWDY EVERY BODY!

I might have forgotten to put you on my list but this post is directed to you all too!

I was lurking on the rest of Friday's Friendship thread.

I left before I could say something to you all, so, I'm saying it now.

I have no fancy graphic or great picture so I'll just use words.

To the regulars on the Finest thread, though I only said FRiend to only a few of you, That don't mean they are my only friends on FR.

I want you all to know how much I appreciate each and everyone of you on this thread and on other threads!

I see you all as sisters and brothers and I'm proud of being a part of FR!

[Aquamarine]

A good and patriotic morning to all!

Battle Hymn Of The Republic

(click on graphic)

[ladtx]

Since it's a Military Monday I thought I would include a portion of an email I recently received from my son, who is a Civil Affairs NCO in Mosul, northern Iraq. You'll have to excuse some of the language but I can understand, (been there, done that). It gives a pretty good idea of what our guys are still going through over there. I left the formatting as he sent it, Jeff is pretty much a "stream-of-conciousness" kind of guy.

I really miss all you guys....as of right now we are being told that we'll be home some time between september and the end of november....but, as I tell everyone, just keep your mind on november and if we get home sooner then great...damn, I just killed another freakin' bloodsucker on my forehead...these mosquitos are kicking my ass over here...we are living right off of the Tigris so the mosquitos are everywhere....we are living in a "used to be" five star hotel that was owned by Saddam back in the day....but, after the war it was looted like a mofo...so now it's like a one star, but we are making some major improvements...we finally got the plumbing working so we can regularly take showers like normal human beings again....yeah, when we first got into country I went > 23 days without showering and I was stinking somethin' fierce, we all were....but, finally as I said we can be like normal people again....man, some of these people live like animals....they piss in the street....sewage runs along the street, along with trash,like a normal way of life for these people....they can't really shower that often, so naturally they wreak of nastiness(some of them)....my team and I have an interpreter that we hired and he's really cool....he is a doctor who just finished his schooling...his name is Dr. *****, real nice guy....our CA (Civil Affairs) Bn was in charge of hiring about 100 local interpreters for the Division, just a small, small part of what we've done here....Dr. ***** tells me that most people are happy that Saddam is gone, but that there are a few die hard Ba'athist that want us to leave now, basically so they can try to run the country again....forget that, it ain't gonna happen....we help put their police back in order here in Mosul...but from what > the people say, most of them are prewar cops...don't ask, I know it doesn't make sense to me either...a few of the cops are pretty cool, one of them that works here at the CMOC had a brother that was killed by Saddam, so he is happy that that mofo is gone, and hopefully dead....it's still a little "hot" here but I think that most of the remaining hostilities lie in B'dad....we have heard that there is almost one soldier shot or killed by rpg about every other day or so down there....

[jwfiv]

Good mornng to you, Billie...and all our Hostesses.

Welcome home, Mama_Bear...sure good to have you on home soil again.

Thanks for the biscuits and coffee, GailA...yum...)

Meekie, you're lookin' awful cool there, all dressed up in your Sunday-go-to-meeting duds...nice to have a pic of you and the Mrs., thanks.

One of the most beautiful songs of all time, Aquamarine...thank you....)))

LadTX, very glad to hear your lad is OK, and to get the report form him...I've been thinking about him, and praying he returns safely to you.

Good morning, Miss Pippin...we all love you, and are glad to call you FRiend...and, personally, I kinda like yer rants...)

Hi, LadyX...magnificent Maggie Maelstrom...I hope today proves...uneventful...)

Tenderly, I advance into this Monday Monday...and, even though I'm still washing the sleep outta my eyes, it feel like a good day, so far...

[LadyShallott]

Just stopping in to say hello. Hope everyone has had a wonderful morning. :-)God Bless-

Chris

[The Raven]

Libs wrong again.... Special Ops say lives were on line in Lynch's rescue

[The Thin Man]

[martin_fierro]

A Gyrene-sized, Military Monday

OOOOOOHRAAAAAH

to EVERYBUDDY!

[martin_fierro]

[[[[[[[[[[[[dansGEARHEADangel]]]]]]]]]]]]

[Billie]

God Bless Our Military

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.....................nephew Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................activve duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son

[WVNan]

Hi Billie! Just dropped by to say hello and leave you a blue flower.