October 07, 2011 Hines VA Medical Center 10/15/2011
                       Add Comment Great Lakes, Illinois October 07, 2011 10/14/2011
 After the big adventure with the car break down in Gary, Indiana we were finally on our way and headed off to Great Lakes, Illinois for the Navy graduation of 1000 young sailors. What an experience. So many years ago I ached to attend my son’s graduation and there was just no possible way I could. Obligation to younger children and financial issues made it plainly impossible. I felt so bad missing his big day but was so relieved when he showed up at my front door the next day for a weeks leave! After I lost him I thought about that big day so many times and regretted not being able to find a way to share it with him. Now, nearly 10 yrs later through the thoughtfulness of Captain Sam of the NYC Navy Command and Sarah from the Training Command in Great Lakes I was finally able to attend the graduation I never had a chance to experience. It was filled with as much excitement and joy as I had expected and such a deep sense of pride in these young people who had now become young women and men of service. They, the ones who represented less than 1 percent of our countries population, will defend our countries freedoms from the sea. As I watched them march into the long great hall I couldn’t help but reflect upon all that this moment represented to me, country, pride and sadly deep sorrow that my boy and I never had the chance to share this special moment together. I loved him so, I know he knew that, but when the moment finally arrived as the one in charge dismissed the sailors for leave following the ceremony, my heart felt like it was breaking inside and even though I remained composed through the entire ceremony there did finally come the moment (privately) when I could just no longer hold the tears back and they fell uncontrollably all on their own. I miss my boy so much. After all this time somehow I just thought it would be so different….it’s not. I’m doing the best I can. Nope, it’s probably not the best by some standards and I may never be ok again, but I’m trying….and I’ll do my best and hope he’s proud of me…too. Before I finally left I looked around the huge hall for a sailor that had no one to greet him. One like my boy would have been and what I realized was that this was a happy day, one so filled with joy and pride of accomplishment that those who had no family present would share with each other until they could return home. There really was no proper place for a Gold Star Mother, so I quietly watched and smiled at them all and offered my sincere congratulations for their accomplishments. Then I left…..and it hurt….like it was that very day and I ached to hug my own Sailor and tell him how very proud I am of him and how much I love him….just once more. Thank you so much Sarah and Captain Sam for making this possible. This experience allowed me such closure. Thank you CorkyJo for understanding and for giving all that you did for the sake of others, your country and especially so many times, for your brother, sister and me.                                        Shererville, Indiana October 06, 2011 10/14/2011
                                                   West Lafayette, Indiana October 05, 2011 10/14/2011
                                                                    Please Note...... 10/08/2011
So sorry, but there seems to be a glitch with Powweb and this program that cannot be fixed for the time being. In order to view "Archived" entries please click in the heading above labeled "Please note.....". You should then see "Kathy's Corner" and "Archives" with various months of entries. Sorry for the inconvenience. Can't seem to get Powweb to fix this glitch. Will change Web Host when I return. Welcome to Holiday Inn Express Asheville! Completely unlike any other Holiday Inn I have ever visited it is absolutely wonderful! Comfortable beds, great folks and very helpful and the most warm and inviting atmosphere anywhere! What a terrific welcome to beautiful Asheville, North Carolina located in the scenic Smokey Mountains!      In the center below is Blue Star Mother, Teresa and her friend Tony who run the restaurant at the Holiday Inn. Absolutely mouth watering dining experience with warm mountain country atmosphere! Teresa and I shared stories of our sons service and our experiences as "Military Moms". Teresa's son is presently serving in the United States Air Force.    We loaded back into the "remember car" and were on our way again.....   We shared this gorgeous autumn day with the Veterans and volunteers of the Charles George VA Medical Center, a wonderfully patriotic entrance and beautiful facility.         Beautiful down town Asheville       The Biltmore Estate entrance........   Sadly this was the closest we would get to the World Famous Biltmore Estates....I so badly wanted to see it but after all of the delays the past few days there just wasn't any time. Sigh...maybe next time.   This music is from Tim’s newest (soon to be released) CD, First December Morning. Asheville, North Carolina is a truly beautiful place. Cool, with wonderful old rolling mountains where you can smell the fresh pines in the autumn air and see it’s arrival with the turning of the leaves as they gently glisten in shades of alizarin crimson, burnt sienna and brilliant shades of yellow ochre, yup, fall is finally here in the Smoky Mountians. With all of all of it’s glory just beginning but a whispering promise that the show is certain to be one of nature’s very best, I just can’t help but wish I could return to see it unfold in the coming weeks! Welcome to Asheville, North Carolina and the Asheville VA Medical Center. Home of the world famous Biltmore Estate this is also home to another one of the VA’s finest medical facilities. How lucky the Veterans of this beautiful region are and they do well know it as they speak proudly from their bedsides of the wonderful staff and volunteers that work here. Hans and I enjoyed our day as volunteers here with Elaine of UHaul and Vicky another VAVS Representative. Together we visited the residents of the long term care wings, Hospice, the cancer day clinic and regular wards passing along wishes of appreciation for our Veterans and their service as well as for those who care for them. It was a really great day! The Veterans all seemed to love Tim Janis’s CD’s and the DVD’s were especially a big hit in the common areas where we could hear echoes of the wonderfully serene music Tim composes as we departed. We are now off to Indiana to visit the Veterans in the morning. As we passed through the beautiful Smokey Mountains I couldn’t help but hear the sounds of the mountain music in my heart and recall the steps of my Emily as she danced gleefully to their tunes in the traditional Irish dance.  We visited the Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg this morning. A huge facility with state of the art medical equipment available and many of the finest physicians ready to assist our returning warriors.   We were greeted by a working dog and his partner who are part of a program for returning Military Service Members with PTSD. These special dogs are all Golden Retrievers and named after fallen heroes. They are specially trained as companions to help our wounded warriors with flashbacks, anxiety attacks and other issues relative to PTSD.  Joan (from UHaul), Lori (Gold Star Mother friend), me, John and Harold (also from UHaul) It was a really wonderful day as we greeted young and older Veterans and Military Service Members and thanked them for their service. Harold, John and Joan were just super! I look forward to seeing them again next tour! Thank you for the chocolates and puzzle books guys! They really Loved it all!   Wow! Joan had a super awsum pick-up truck! With the 82nd Airborne plate for Fort Bragg too!     We stopped in to see Lori at her new job at the Fischer House. What a terrific place! Everyone was so nice and they gave us t-shirts to take with us.   We didn't have a chance to visit this beautiful VA Hospital also in Fayetteville but Lori promised that she and other Gold Star Mom friends will take cards and visit the Veterans here. I went in and visited with the Director of Volunteer Services and we agreed to visit on the very next Tribute Journey. I just had to include photos of this place it was so beautiful from the road! After a very long night (seemed what I thought was a cold was more likely swamp allergies!) I felt so much better in the morning and we were off to meet up with my "Sister friend" Gold Star Mother, Lori Southerland.  Very much a gentle southern lady, Lori is past National Chaplain of the American Gold Star Mother volunteers of Washington DC and one of the kindest and most sincere people I know. We shared this beautiful fall Sunday visiting our Veterans at the North Carolina Veterans Nursing Home in Fayetville. A fairly new facility, it bursts with live country music and warm smiles to greet us!    While live country music was performed in the day room, we met wonderful World War Two Veterans, a survivor of Pearl Harbor, an original Golden Eagle Parachutist, their families and furry friend Buddy! What a terrific dog Buddy was!         After our visit we were off to church together and shared the beautiful fall sunset and the crisp cool evening air under a sky just bursting full of stars!     This is my friend Celena who works for Holiday Inn Express. Celena is the daughter of a 20yr Military Army Dad and a volunteer for The Tribute Journey sharing our cards with service members and Veterans of the Fort Bragg area. Holiday Inn Express is a really great place to stay with wonderful hospitality, terrific comfortable beds and a great spread for breakfast every morning!! Thank you Celena! A day off in Virginia to visit with dear friend Gold Star father George Lutz - October 01, 2011 10/02/2011
           Above: George and I take a little time to sort through and share a few of the original art pieces used for creating the cards, on the driveway. It was such a nice afternoon and so cool and dry after a very humid sticky week. Below: George shared his "special place" with us, a 150 foot long dock walkway built through the swamp in George's back yard with his son Tony just a few days before Tony left for Iraq. This beautiful and so serine spot would create a wonderful place of reflection for George and his family. Building this wonderful destination together, it would be the last project he and Tony would share before Tony was lost in Iraq.                      The walkway was really beautiful but unfortunately I am allergic to almost everything out there this time of year! Yikes!.....sigh......will have to visit George in the winter! Lol! aaaaaachooo! When we were finally on our way we came upon this wonderful old home so typical of the old southern Virginia area. I just had to capture a few photos of it.......          After a long day and terrible sudden (cold?) I gathered up my favorite traveling lap blanket and found a rocker chair over at the Cracker Barrel. One of my favorite places when traveling!    While setting in the rocker I noticed Firemen coming out of the Cracker Barrel in pink t-shirts? Wonderfully, and to my surprise, they were all wearing pink t-shirts with Breast Cancer logos on them! Being from a family plagued with this and other cancer issues, it meant an awful lot to see them openly support the cause to find a cure! Go Chesapeake FD! And thank you!    New Jersey VA Health Care Center East Orange Campus - East Orange, New Jersey September 27, 2011 09/30/2011
Began the day repacking all of the "stuff" back in the car....      Then off to visit our friends at the East Orange Campus of the New Jersey VA Health Care Center.  Welcome to the New Jersey VA Health Care Center East Orange, New Jersey     | Kathy's Corner
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