Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Veteran's Day


I will be putting up photos of the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat musical in a few days, but I couldn't let this day go by without saying something about Veteran's Day.

As this day rolls around each year I always think of my Great Uncle Joe Brookhart who served in WWII. At my Great Grandparents house there were multi colored stones embedded in the concrete beside the garage with his name and the year he went to war. I was little so the explanations as to why those stones were there went right over my head. I never heard him speak of his experiences during the war until later in his life. I still marvel at the courage that he had at such a young age...... He was the one to give me my nickname, JJ. I miss him.

I also think of my wonderful husband Benny. He has served for 24 years in the Indiana National Guard and retired 2 years ago.
He spent time in an Artillery Unit, Recruiting, and a Finance Unit. This career has meant so much to him, and is such an integral part of who he is that it's hard to imagine the kind of man he would have been had he not signed up as soon as he was 18. When we first married, I didn't really know much about military life, or the impact it would have on us throughout our marriage. I know now. Words really can't do justice to what I think of this accomplishment of his..... Simply put, I'm proud of him.

I also think of several friends we have that are now deployed in Afghanistan and around the world on missions unlike any we have seen in history. We miss them, and hope they are safe.

My heart and prayers go out to the soldiers at Fort Hood, and their families, and to all the men and women that are serving our country all over the world. Tonight when I lay down my head to sleep, I will remember them, and remember that we are free because of what they do everyday.

It doesn't seem like nearly enough, but from my heart.... Thank You!

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

A Non Journal Entry

I've got Donny Osmond on the brain this week...... Ok, I know I'll be dating myself here, but let me explain.

When I was young, Donny was my first love. No doubt about it.
I listened and sang along to all these songs for hours on end. Admit it, you did too! Who could resist singing "Puppy Love" or "The Twelfth of Never"? I'll bet my mom got sick of hearing these songs over and over........ I'm sure my brother "no singing at the table" did.

Ooooh, this was my favorite album! When Donny sang "This Is The Moment" from Blue Hawaii, I would ask "who's Elvis??"

Ok, enough of that reminiscing! Now Donny is on Dancing With The Stars, and I have enjoyed watching it so much!
I used up all my votes for him this week! I like it that he is only a few years older than me, and he can still be dreamy as we get older.

But the real reason I have Donny on the brain this week is this:

My son's school, Brownsburg East Middle School will be putting on their production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" this weekend. Now, the kids and I have been watching the movie version of this musical for about 8 years now, ever since Abby was still in a playpen. Sometimes when there's nothing on TV I would say, " Put the Joseph movie in" and we would watch it again.
So needless to say, all of us have this musical memorized from start to finish, all the words, expressions, the drama, the WHOLE thing! When we found out that the kids would be doing this musical this year we were more than excited. Patrick signed up for the chorus, I volunteered to help with costumes, and now the time is here. We are all excited to see the final production this weekend. The kids have all worked so hard, and a lot of parents have helped out to make this thing really happen. If I remember to take my camera to practice today, I'll show you a few shots of our version.

Stay tuned!

By the way, if this all sounds a little loopy, and not at all like my serious manner, it's because I've been up too many nights making costumes, attending rehearsals, and still trying to make a lot of journals! Not enough sleep!