A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-28-02

dansangel and Billie

[dansangel]

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

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues;  salute
and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new
word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who
are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which
we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.  I
can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. 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 November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet

MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga

BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette

MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid

BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP

MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian

BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68

MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797
BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack

                     

Salvation Freeper since December 19, 2000

Salvation was born and raised in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. She attended elementary, high school and two years of college there. After earning her Associate's Degree in Education, she taught second and third grades in Dix, NE. A few years later, she wound up moving to California, near Anaheim, and it was there that she met her husband-to-be on a blind date. They were married a year and a half later and moved to the Bay area.

During the next few years, Salvation's husband Dave worked first as an auditor for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and then as Controller for what was then called Central California Federal Savings and Loan in the main office in Auburn, CA. Also during this time, Salvation had given birth to three girls and a boy. While Controller for Central California Federal, Dave had the pleasure of meeting Ronald Reagan during a trail ride on horseback sponsored by his employer.

Ronald Reagan, lovingly rendered by our own Billie (c)2001.

Desiring a change, Salvation and her husband flew to Salem, OR to look at a child care center that was for sale. They decided to purchase the child care center, licensed for 50 children with a staff of five adults and two teacher aides, usually high schoolers. Two years after moving there, their youngest son was born. Salvation's husband Dave worked for the State of Oregon as a fiscal analyst for the Child and Protective Services. He also handled all the bookkeeping for their daycare center.

What appeared on the surface as a life of bliss as parents and business-owners, in reality caused stress leading to the request for a divorce by Dave. Salvation signed them both up for a Marriage Encounter weekend without Dave's knowledge. He consented to go, however, when the weekend was finally scheduled. It turned their marriage around. Subsequently, they went for training to be a presenting team couple for Marriage Encounter weekends - as if they didn't already have enough on their plates! They did that for about five years, and also presented several Family Weekend Experiences for families in the Salem area.

Their children were active in Little League; Dave served as League president and umpired games for the region. In high school, their daughters were involved in Spanish Club, dance team and soccer. The boys went out for football and wrestling. During this time Dave was also the campaign treasurer for several Republican candidates in local elections. Salvation says she was "still too busy to get into the politics of it all, however."

Then, in 1985, as Salvation puts it, "the big bomb hit. It may as well have been a bomb, because I was devastated. We found out that my husband had lung cancer in April and he died the last week of August of that year. I am thankful that the Lord gave me those four months, don't get me wrong."

It was a year later that Salvation attended her first Beginning Experience weekend. She returned a year after that for another weekend and relates that her life has never been the same. It was as though God was preparing her for her next painful experiences. Over the next 6 years she experienced four more deaths in her immediate family. Drawing on her strength and her deep faith in God, she became an active member in her Catholic parish (Disciples in Mission) and during Lent she is on the Pastoral Council.

This all leads up to Salvation joining Free Republic. She credits her late husband with her Republican "conversion." She was brought up in a Democratic family who believed in government subsidies for farmers. Dave helped her to see that the subsidies, by and large, did not really help the farmers at all, while taxing all of the other citizens of the nation.

Salvation's actual Free Republic membership began by lurking during the hearings after the presidential election and the subsequent Democratic election fraud fiasco in Florida. She ended up tiring of being a lurker and signed up. She is pro-life and anti-government-takeover of privately-owned land. As a former business-owner (she no longer owns the daycare center, having sold it in 1991), Salvation feels that when a person's income depends on the land they own (such as in the farmlands surround the Klamath Basin in Southern Oregon), "it is vital that we all stand up and speak out."

Salvation is proud to be a Roman Catholic and contributes to threads in the religion forum on a regular basis. She also posts the "Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings" on FR each day and the "Sunday Mass Readings" on Sunday. She also tries to post the "Radio Address by the President to the Nation" each Saturday morning but is not always so successful in getting it posted. She says that is due to her "laziness," but with all of her accomplishments and raising 5 children to boot, it is very difficult to believe the word "lazy" even exists in her vocabulary.

Salvation's five children are all grown and live in Chicago, Phoenix, Cornelius, OR, Salem, OR and her youngest son is a student at Portland State. Salvation also has "three and almost four" grandchildren. Two grandsons are in Phoenix and a granddaughter is in Cornelius. Salvation feels it is important that "I also try to enjoy the each day as the Lord gives it to me. Smell the flowers, gaze at the sunset."

Finally, Salvation cites the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi as her favorite:

~Prayer of St. Francis~

Lord, make me and instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are both to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi.

Please join me in giving another deserving FReeper a warm welcome to FR's Finest...

Today that Finest is
Salvation!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS

10-26, 27-02 "A Few Of FR's Finest" Weekend Thread

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 an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[dansangel]

Good Morning Pippin!

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}

Have a lovely Monday!

[dansangel]

OK, I'll be back in a while. I have to go get my driver's license renewed. It isn't due until January, but the lines here are so ugly and I'm going to be busy from here on out....[sigh]

Catch you all later!

[Gerish]

Congratulations Salvation! Truly appreciate your threads! They help remind me how we need Our Lord in our lives everyday! God Bless you!

[Salvation]

Thanks, dansangel. That is beautiful!

[Salvation]

Property rights -- you said it, flyer.

We need to be vigilant and stand up to be heard.

Another issue is the federal government and the management of forest lands. It has cost many people many jobs in Oregon.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Good morning, Dansy! : )

Mighty fine, mighty fine. : )

[Salvation]

Time -- one of those gifts from God. All we have is 24 hours, no more, no less each day.

I just figure that reading the Lord's word each day is a wise way to spend some of that 24 hours.

God bless!
Salvation

[Salvation]

Thanks, .45MAN. Have a great day!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Congratulations, Salvation!

You're one *special* lady.

God's blessings....

...and enjoy your day. : )

[MinuteGal]

Congratulations, Salvation! You ARE the finest in my book!

Leni

[Salvation]

Thanks, annie, for that link. (I totally forgot it when I sent info to dansangel!) The Engaged Encounter is also a wonderful gift.

Beginning Experience, for those who have lost a loved one whether through divorce, separation or death is also a life-changing weekend experience.

[Salvation]

knighthawk,

Good morning to you also.

[jwfiv]

Good morning, dansangel, another new day under way, but I've already missed the first hour of daylight, and will miss the last hour as the sun sets before I leave the office. This daylight savings time irritates me as it seems to me it should be called "day goes too quickly time"

Enough of my grouchness!

Thanks for your bio of Salvation, you write clearly and well. Luuuvvvv the pic of all you little kittens...JH2 is a lucky quy to be flanked by such sweeties.

Enjoy your vacation, angel...rest, relax, restore...and, play a little, too.

Regards to all the hosting crew, Semper Fi.

Good morning to you, Salvation. Your story is beautiful and inspiring, a rich life you have lived, made richer by your own giving way. Bless you, glad you're here at FR, it's simply the best little news-cafe in the whole world.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Good morning, Ladies! : )

[lonestar]

You are the cat's MEOW!

[Salvation]

I've got to run! They are probably trying to call me to substitute at a school today. LOL!

See all of you later.

[lodwick]

Too many people put off something that brings
them joy just because they haven't thought
about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know
it was coming or are too rigid to depart from
their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those
women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner
that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From
then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because
their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until
after something had been thawed? Does
the word refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and
sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on
television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister
and said, "How about going to lunch in a half
hour?" She would gasp and stammer, "I can't. I have
clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish
I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast,
It looks like rain." And my personal favorite:
"It's Monday." ...She died a few years ago. We
never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their
lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on
a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when
all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when
we get Stevie toilet-trained.

We'll entertain when we replace the
living-room carpet.

We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two
more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older.



The days get shorter, and the list of promises
to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we
awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany
of "I'm going to", "I plan on", and "Someday, when
things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment'
friend, she is open to adventure and available for
trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her
enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five
minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a
pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10
years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well
apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula
and eliminate the digestive process. The other
day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker.



If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I
would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something
you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list.

If you were going to die soon and had only one
phone call you could make, who would you call
and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will
understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry
go round or listened to the rain lapping on the
ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or
gazed at the sun into the fading night?
Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask
"How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow."
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?
Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it
is like an unopened gift....Thrown away... Life
is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before
the song is over.

It's National Friendship Week. Show your
friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you
consider a FRIEND.

[Mixer]

Happy Monday to all.

dansangel...I hope you are enjoying your vacation.

Salvation....Congrats on being honored one of FRs finest. I have added you to the calendar so that we may be reminded of your join date in December. You can check that out right here... FR Calendar

[dutchess]

Goodmorning Salvation. What a beautiful presentation today. I, too, am Roman Catholic and took much of it for granted until Mr. D. converted around 10 years ago. I learned much through his "conversion". Have a wonderful day.

[Pippin]

(((((LOUIE)))))))

Hey! I'm a full-fledged freeper now!

I was at the patriot's rally in DC Saturday. I met Kristin, Angelwood, Fred Mertz;KLT among others!

It was great!