USO Canteen FReeper Style....Monday Mail Call....May 13,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[redhead]

(Just thought we'd like to make stars for banners and such for Memorial Day and the 4th.) And they are FUN to teach to kids...

[whoever]

Fantabulous, Mr. SAM. Thanks.

[SAMWolf]

Looks like some thewe's going to be some competition for the next Dance we have.

[SAMWolf]

You don't think I'd make that up, do you?

[SpookBrat]

I'm really going to miss my gardens living in a rent house. Did I tell you all, people (so called friends) were looting our yard when we left? They went and dug up a bunch of my plants. If I ever find out who did it, I'll rip them a new one. I would have given them plants if they had just asked. Grrrr...

So anyway, are you coming to Jacksonville? Where are you going to be? Yes, we like the beaches here. We love beach combing. It's our new favorite thing to do. We body surf. Does that count? LOL

[Jen]

The Yankee Flipper
My husband told me about this squirrel flipping bird feeder a few weeks ago, but it slipped my mind. I just found the web site and you guys gotta watch this video.

The ring is calibrated to a squirrel's weight and is motorized. So when a squirrel is on it, a motor turns the ring and flings the squirrel off. It's hilarious. I must have one of these!

[Snow Bunny]

Sam I read this just now that you posted.....My Son, the child, the man, the Soldier......it is wonderful.Thank you so much.I saved it too!!!

[Snow Bunny]

This is really a neat site you posted about the star. It has all kinds of things there. Thank you so much, this is neat.

[Snow Bunny]

Goodnight Deadhead, the butterflys look so cute with the car. hahaa love it.

[MeekOneGOP]

Sounds like you're keepin' busy there in Fla. Got some cut off to make it easy
on the Fla BREEZE, huh? And a tan to boot! Alright!
Ming is doing ok. She's been working the 7 days/week for a year now. I'll be
so glad when her sister gets here so she can help her out with her business.
She needs a break!
So good to hear from you! Hope everything is falling into place!......

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Nice to "see" you again!

[SAMWolf]

The 1000 Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings.

Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise,
or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work.

Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a
steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other.
What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those
lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham
radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net.

Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap,
with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind;
he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business.

He was telling whomever he was talking with something about
"a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to
what he had to say.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job.
I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away
from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow
should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet.

Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital. He continued,
"Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me
keep a good perspective on my own priorities."

And that's when he began to explain his theory of
a "thousand marbles."
"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average
person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and
some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is
the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime.

"No, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part."
"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all
this in any detail"; he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over
twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be
seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.

"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had.
I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles.
I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic
container right here in the sack next to my gear.

Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away."
"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focus more on the really
important things in life.

There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to
help get your priorities straight." "Now let me tell you one last thing
before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast.
This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container.
I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra
time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with
your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band.
75 year Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off.
I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna
that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work
on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss.
"C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."
"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent
a Saturday together with the kids.

Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out?
I need to buy some marbles....

[Snow Bunny]

Mrs.Cogan's military wife letter is so beautifully written.

[Aquamarine]

That's awful about people digging your yard up. Some people never cease to amaze me.
We're going to the panhandle near Panama City to a beautiful place called Destin. I hope no one digs my yard up while I'm gone. hehe!

[SpookBrat]

This is the first time I've been here in a long time. I just love reading these letters from our military. It's good to hear from them, because that tells me they are alive. :) A typing, email sending soldier is a good sign. :)

To those lurking and especially, Mark A., James K.L., Stephen A., Tim B., Charlie....

I've been absent, but it's an excused absence...LOL (Doctors note and everything). I just read your notes and wrote down your names on a scratch sheet of paper. My son comes up and asks me who you are and why I wrote down your names (he is 6). I tell him you are soldiers protecting us, and you are sad, away from your families, and now I will tell you thank you, etc. He wants to know if you are out there because of those buildings that fell down???

He also wants to know if we will win the "war". I told him yes, because we are Americans and we always win. I told him God will take care of you all and no need to worry. I told him our soldiers are the best trained, strongest and bravest...and there is no way we can lose.

Thanks for signing your life away on that dotted line. I know you are tired, uncomfortable and miss home cooking. I know you want chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, sweet iced tea and some fresh green beans from the garden. I know you want some apple pie or chocolate chip cookies. I know you want to kiss your wife, husband or babies. I appreciate your commitment and dedication. Thanks for sacrificing an easy 9-5 job, with a nice cozy life in front of the TV (or computer), just to make sure we can keep our freedom and LIFE.

We love you! God bless you. You are in our thoughts and prayers every day and night. I always especially think about y'all on Sunday. Besides my family, my freedom to practice my religion and worship God is most precious to me. I would die for my freedom to keep my Bible and go worship the Lord. Thank you for protecting our freedom to worship

Mark, I would give anything to get a computer for your mom. If she lives close to Jacksonville FL, my husband could build her one. :)

[deadhead]

Hi SpookBrat, wanted to share this picture with you. One of my favorite beaches, Robert Moses on L.I.
I love it! Being by the ocean always makes me Happy!

[Jen]

You have freepmail.

[Aquamarine]

Very well said!

[SpookBrat]

Hiya Tonk!!!! How ya doin? I really appreciate what you said in #4. Very diplomatically and lovingly put. :) Hugs to you my friend. I've missed your tenderness. You're such a nice, sweet man.

[Jen]

Your letter to the servicemen is so beautiful and reveals your tender heart. Jen