What You Might Not Know

Slowly, they come home. This depressive war zeitgeist makes it difficult, if not impossible, for our soldiers to return to their former state of ataraxia. Duties done, horrors witnessed, loneliness endured, they fear that many of their brothers and sisters-in-arms will return home to find themselves welcomed with merely a lick and a promise of our nation’s concern, tied with a faded and tattered yellow ribbon.

The stress created by the soldiers’ praxis isn’t considered contraband when he or she flies the Freedom Flight. It returns, camouflaged on board despite the sapid relief that washes over rows of deployed ranks as the passage of miles brings each soldier closer to home. Their hands, held as semilunar shades against their faces, shake as they look through the windows, knowing their families are waiting inside the hangar.

Mantic spouses hope for the best, prepare for the worst, while children who have endured the long separation demonstrate remarkable serendipity. Stories of their adventures, discoveries and escapades have kept their military parents’ morale high, the emailed and handwritten retellings reminding soldiers of what it means to be innocent.

Within arms’ reach, and finally dismissed from duty, families are reunited, coming together to share embraces, tears, relief, and endearments as sweet as halva, as sweet as peace.

***This blog entry is for a writing contest I found via Scheiss Weekly, many thanks for the link Mamacita!***

writing challenge badge

Just Promoting Literacy

…with much appreciation to Rosebud Design Studio! I’m looking forward to declining invitations to holiday parties with

rsvp

thanking future colleagues (and ALL of my friends!) with

thanks

and leaving “neighborly” notes for the weirdos that put up Christmas displays the day after Halloween

lights

More of the holiday collection can be found here, but just to *prove* I’m really a teacher, here’s my suggestion for the teacher’s lounge:

lunch

I’ll keep browsing through the site, because man oh man, some of these would make terrific magnets!

Holiday Fun!

santaSanta blogs!

Bears are everywhere! bear Goodyblog posts about polar bear bookshelves; Paris Parfait found bears playing in department store windows and even caught some “bear-paw-razzi” waiting to snap shoppers in Paris. Polar Bears even ride motorcycles (safely, thank goodness)!

gingerbreadCraftzine tries to keep waistlines whittled by offering a FELT gingerbread house pattern, (cute, but I’m still making the real thing), and though it’s two years past, Jeff Barr’s photos of gingerbread architecture are still amazing!

Enjoy!