Foxy Corner

AT&T Phone Cards!
The Military Exchange

Donate a book!

Send a letter to a soldier

. . . Thanks for all the hard work you are doing the families of the current
Purple Foxes like us really appreciate it!

This is your place to learn new things, read a poem, break a smile, share your talent!
Here are some things you may want to explore!

	A Military Wife's Turn
	Poems from Soliders
	Your Marine Shares His Experiences of War
	It's an Honor to Serve
	Stress and the Fox Family
	You might be a military wife if...


	About the Author
	Will You Shake My Hand?
	Hounds Of Hell
	It's an Honor to Serve
	The Jacket
	The Flag Still Stands For Freedom
	What Do You See?
	Names on the Wall

Have Something to share? Contact us...the Foxy Ladies!

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You might be a military wife if...

..you can unpack a house and have everything in place in 48 hours

..you string concertina wire to keep the neighbor's kids out of your flower
beds

..your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do

..you've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband
because he's never there to do it himself

..you use a crook-neck flashlight with a red lens during power outages
because it's the only one you can ever find in the house

..your children say "hooah" or "roger that" instead of "ok"

..you know that it's normal to light shoe polish on fire and that the
best way to spit-shine boots is with cotton balls

..your husband does a route recon and takes a GPS for a trip to the mall

..you only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change

..you need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, only because
they have no idea what DFAS, AER, TDY, ACS, NPD, PCS, and ETS
mean

..you have a larger selection of curtains than Wal-Mart does

..you can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last house,
but unfortunately,not in this one

..you mark time in duty stations, not years

..you refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they live in

..you know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now

..you tear up when you hear "Proud to Be An American," even though
you've heard it 50 times by now

..you know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian
friends say

..you ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are more
than 2 weekends during that pay period

..you know better than to go to the PX or commissary between 11:30 and
1:30 unless it's a life or death emergency

..you show your military ID to the greeter at Wal-Mart

..you know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" describes NTC at
Ft. Irwin, not your kid's backyard toys

..you know that "Ft. Puke" is a completely accurate description of Ft.Polk

..you find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him

..you have enough camouflage in your house to wallpaper the White House

..you don't have to think about what time 21:30 is

..you've ever been referred to as "Household 6"

..you're the TC, not a backseat driver

..you start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run
out of Halloween candy

..you can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't
wearing BDUs

..you've ever had a pet named Scout, Ranger or Sergeant

..the local dry cleaner knows you by your first name

..it only cost you $25 to have a child

..you find that a large number of your clothes and household items are
olive drab or loam, even though you never planned it that way

..you pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you used
to yell at your husband for doing the same thing

..you know what "pogey bait" is and which kinds everyone in your husband's
platoon prefers

..you wish you could go to CIF to DX your old stuff like your husband can

..you've learned to sleep through the sounds of tanks, planes, helicopters
and artillery simulators

..you give your kids a hand receipt when they take your Tupperware to
school

..you can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the same
breath

..you defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you
know there's no other life for you!

This was sent in by Foxy Lady Sandy Gibbons
1/7/2004

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A Military Wife's Turn.... (unknown)

You probably didn't realize who was sitting next to you.

You rattled on about how silly this anti-terrorist war is, and that it's just a political ploy. You complained about America being the world's police. You said you'd never let your son run off to fight, and you'd throw a fit if they just sent your husband off.

At that point, I almost turned around and told you who I am. I am a military spouse.

Life in the military has never been easy. It means low pay with no overtime,watching your husband go to work with a fever because the doctor didn't deem him sick enough for the day off. It means years of rules and protocol that wear on you like a dripping

"We go to live in other countries where the locals despise us..."

faucet late at night.

Don't even get me going on the weekly inspection of our yards.

We live with Terms like "Exercise" which means 2 week shifts. And "TDY," which means your spouse is gone for up to 180 days.
And "Remotes," which means your spouse is gone for longer than 180 days. And finally, "PCS," which means your whole family is going on this ride.

Don't get me wrong, whining is not my intent here.

While the road we've been down in the military hasn't always been paved; it's been a good life.
My kids know you don't wait to make friends because you never know how long they'll be here.
We know how precious good friends are even when miles separate us.
We go to live in other countries where the locals despise us.
We know that value of a good, old fashioned love letter.

It wasn't always in vogue to be patriotic. Sept. 11 helped turn that tide,but flags are fading around here again.
My husband is TDY (temporary duty) right now. I'm not allowed to tell you where.
I'm 26 days into a 109-day TDY.
There have been too many times I have needed him here.
It's being a single parent although you are still married to your childrens father.
It's keeping a marrige alive through letters, care packages, and 10 minute phone calls that you wait for weeks to recieve.
It's having to answer the question, "how many days till daddy comes home?" two hundred times.
It's waving goodbye to a figure on a ship or a plane or a bus and trying not to blink for fear you'll loose sight of them, those extra seconds so precious.
It's living a thousand miles away from any loved ones.

Forget the running of the home fort -- there are kisses and hugs that should be taking place. I lie in bed and try to recall what his breathing sounds like next to me-or hear the door open and try to envision him walking in from work.
What I would give to hear his clear voice without telephone static and worrying about how much the phone call will cost us.
It's missing birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas's. Not to mention first steps, first words, lost teeth, nightmares, school plays and a millions other "daily events" that civilians take for granted.
It's living with the knowledge that any day they could be sent on a mission that will change your and your childrens lives forever.
The deep fear -- what if this separation becomes permanent? Distance is a horrible thief of what is precious, because it only reminds us of how precious it is.

You kept on talking for a while. I then realized I was picking up your tab.

You could sit there freely and give your opinion because of the military families like ours. We do not have the luxury of political opinion. We only know orders, patriotism and duty. We are paying the price for your freedom.

I've heard it said that soldiers of the past, present and future pay for the flag.

Nah, we're the THREADS it's woven with.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

note: Thanks to Foxy JoAnn Goldstein for sending this in!

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Stress and the Fox Family

Stress is the 'wear and tear' our bodies experience during times of emotional or physical distress that produces either positive or negative reactions. A positive effect of stress can prompt us into action; the negative influence can produce anger and depression.

During long separations from loved ones people can build up stress over time. This is certainly true if your loved one is in a combat zone. Simmering slowly in the background this form of stress can produce serious health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, high blood pressure, stroke and even death. It has been found that most illness is related to unrelieved stress. So how do you address this problem?

Become aware of yourself is the first step. Women are trained to please others so we rarely focus any attention on ourselves until it is too late. Remember, we cannot care for others unless we are strong emotionally and mentally.

"..so you forgot to call your mother last night, don't beat yourself up..."

Signs of Stress
Nervous and short-tempered		Unkept appearance
Fatigue		Distancing self from others
Weight loss or gain		Constant worrying
Crying with no reason		Loss of concentration
Become aware of how you react to stress:

	Notice your distress and determine what events triggered it. What are you telling yourself the meaning of it is?
	Notice how your body reacts. Do your experience shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, eating binge?

Recognize what you can change:
	Can you shorten your exposure to it? Turn off the news for a while? Take a long bath?
	Can you devote time to make changes in your life? Join a reading club? Take up a sport like bicycling or jogging? Have friends over?
Reduce the intensity of your reaction to stress: Stress is a reaction triggered by the perception of danger. It can be physical or emotional danger, but it is important to note that it is your perception of the event that triggers the reaction.
	Are you overreacting to events as critical when in fact they are not?
	Are you worrying about news or events without having all the facts?
	Do you expect to make others happy sacrificing your own happiness?
	Do you worry what others may think avoiding your own feelings?
Moderate your physical reactions to stress.

Relax through breath. Take a long breath in and 'sigh' out loud. It may take some practice, but this technique will instantly reduce stress to a manageable level. Don't worry if your think that people will think you strange, they won't. They will just think you are very calm and reflective.
Meditate. You don't need to do anything fancy, just sit in a quiet room and listen to some soothing music. Take the phone off the hook and try to visualize yourself in a place that makes you happy…at the beach or in a garden. This will begin to calm you and after a few minutes you will feel refreshed.
Aromatherapy. Remember the smell of Grandma's cookies? Scents like lavender, rose and vanilla are used to produce a calming effect suitable for sleep and relaxation. Many bath stores now sell aromatherapy mist sprays that you can use without a heavy fragrance aftermath. I have a bottle right at the computer so when I feel stress coming on I spray away!
Massage. Nothing can calm you like a massage. Your body reacts to stress by tensing the muscles. Women are prone to tighten the neck and shoulders. It may take days or even weeks before you feel a stiff neck or pain in the shoulder blades. Young people may not experience the effects until they are in their 30-40's, then they wonder why they hurt! Massage