Our Next Mission: Operation Get Our Kitchen into this Century!

Here is some news on a more personal note. Since leaving the military and moving into our cozy little town, we have been settling into our 130 year old farmhouse. I have been puttering around here and there fixing the little things that break on a regular basis, and we even put in a cute Forbo checkerboard floor ourselves in the sun room. Now we are fixing to undertake our first big remodel in the kitchen, which was previously remodelled in 1968. It was made into a big roomy working kitchen, perfect for a big family, but it is a bit overdue for an update. I'd tell you about it, but my honey is already explaining it far better than I ever could in her new blog:

http://havocamongtheflowers.blogspot.com/

If kitchens are the kind of thing that interest you (As much as I love eating, they sure interest me!) Take a sec to check out our progress. Here's a picture of our first salvo: this is the table we made from a slab of butcher block.

It's good to have a mission on home turf!

Military working dog: recovering after war trauma related stress

I had contact with military working dogs at the base in San Antonio and while in Iraq. It was amazing to see the unconditional dedication the animals had to their duty. Equally impressive was how close the relationship was between the dogs and their trainers and handlers. At the 332 Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad, we witnessed first hand how military working dogs suffered physical trauma in the war zone. However I hadn't considered the behavioral and psychological effect on dogs.

Here is a very interesting article from Huffington Post about Gina, a military working dog who served in Iraq who shows behaviors with some of the characteristics of PTSD.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/03/bombsniffing-dog-gina-com_n_668522.html

As I read the article, I was pleased to see the effort that was going into helping this dog recover. I hope that every veteran who is suffering after service gets the same effort and concern.

(Source: AP via Huffington Post)

Pets 2 Vets (#27)

When I was working in DC, I belonged to the American Legion, Post #8, right in the evening shadow of the Capitol Building. It was a great bunch of guys, and even though I haven't set foot in there for 8 years now, I still get the post communication. Now I'm associated with the post here in town.

Last week I got the message from DC that the post was honoring David Sharpe, founder of Pets2Vets, by choosing his organization to receive proceeds from the 2010 Poppy Drive.

http://www.pets2vets.org/

Pets 2 Vets helps veterans (and homeless animals too) by pairing veteran soldiers and emergency personnel with animal companions. Animals have an incredible therapeutic effect. I have seen it first hand in many of the hospitals where I have worked. Nothing makes a recovering child (or grown up child) perk up and forget their aches and pains for a moment than a visit from a friendly furry medical working dog with tail wagging.

Pets 2 Vets is focusing this uplifting effect on our nation's wounded heroes suffering from traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and other wounds.

Visit their website to learn more and see if you would be interested in becoming involved.