For the Love of His Country

» bbleigh - Thanks Elizabeth

Thanks for the great article and for adding it to the event. I sit here grinning as I read it. We share so much in common.

Many of my friends are from Europe and married to American service members. Here on base we have 12 houses in our cul de sac and out of the 12 we have four German spouses, two British spouses, two Asian spouses, and one from the West Indies. The food is great and we have a great time at the holidays sharing all of our cultures.

I share in your plight of first coming to America to live. I know what it was like moving to Germany to accompany my husband. I cried and cried and did a lot of cursing along the way. I couldn't even order a pizza. After six years I really felt like it was home. I learned the language and had many great friends. One of my fellow co-workers and photographer was British. We used to have some great debates, especially on the correct spelling of certain words. LOL

That year we had to walk in the snow three miles just to get groceries when we first got there. I remember my husband carrying the Christmas tree on his back all the way home just so we could have a "normal" Christmas. The cars didn't arrive until January.

We arrived in Germany and my husband went to Saudi after the Khobar towers bombing. I didn't even have a driver's license yet and couldn't speak the language. Not to mention learning about ration cards and realizing too late that my husband had taken them with him to Saudi. I had to rely on other people to do my grocery shopping for me until he came home.

After six years overseas we are finally back home in the states and honestly I miss Europe. I miss the bakeries. I miss the people. I miss the shopping. I miss the traveling and I miss the culture. And I didn't even get a chance to see the new Euros come out.

Its great to meet you. Drop me an email anytime. My DH is active duty and I have to admit we are all worrying about the future of this conflict.

Thanks for all your support,

Wendy

-- posted by bbleigh

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» thebattwoman - Re: Thanks Elizabeth

In response to message posted by bbleigh:

You're very welcome, I thought it might strike a few chords. We spouses are truly the rocks. I visited Germany once and loved it, but I'd have been hopeless at the language, I only ever learned how to ask the time. Oh well, I'd never have been late

I really don't know what I'd have done if I'd have had to learn a foreign language as well.

You have to giggle Wendy or you'd cry wouldn't you? I was glad to support this event and my e-mail box is also open too. So if you feel like a bit of support or just want to sound off at the system, drop me a line and good luck with the event!

Beth

-- posted by thebattwoman

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» bbleigh - Re: Re: Thanks Elizabeth

In response to message posted by thebattwoman:

Hi Beth,

Thanks for the note and the offer. I will certainly drop you a line from time to time.

It's true though, you just try to smile whenever you can or else you would just sit down and cry. I think that is probably why we spouses are so bubbly and talk too much.

The same goes on this end, if ever you need something feel free to let me know.

Wendy

-- posted by bbleigh

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» pennywhitting - Heart warming article

I love your sense of humor Elizabeth. No wonder you felt that life in America was difficult at first and being a military wife even harder.
All the best. Glenicee

-- posted by pennywhitting

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» thebattwoman - Re: Heart warming article

In response to message posted by Geewhit:

Thanks Glenice, it was often my sense of humour that kept me going The old saying of laugh or cry!

-- posted by thebattwoman

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» faithfulone - Quite an adjustment

Hello Elisabeth, From reading your two articles I can see that you've made quite an adjustment. Just making moves to different places would be enough for me, but you also had to get used to living in the USA!

Glad that I stopped by for a visit. I've seen your posts on the editors' bulletin board and now I now about the person behind the bat woman.

-- posted by faithfulone

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» thebattwoman - Re: Quite an adjustment

In response to message posted by faithfulone:

Hi Susan,
thak you for stopping by, what is really wonderful is getting to meet editors that I never knew before. I shall drop by and see you soon.

-- posted by thebattwoman

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» Lynda04 - Adjustment!!!

Wow Elizabeth, you have had some adjusting to do, well done, and I am sure it has enriched your life.

I agree, we are a little "quirky" in the UK, and I think sometimes our sense of humour might seem a bit weird :-)

-- posted by Lynda04

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» thebattwoman - Re: Adjustment!!!

In response to message posted by Lynda04:

Yes we do have a unique sense of humour and quite often I still giggle at things that my husband doesn't find amusing at all. He just thinks I'm nuts

-- posted by thebattwoman

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» jerrib - Wow!

This really is interesting. Reminds me of when my husband lost his job and we went to a new job at Dugway Proving Ground out in the Salt Desert in Utah. We had never been military, but the site was so remote we lived in military housing and lived the military life even though my husband was civilian.

It happened fast and I, being a lifetime resident of the NW, was not happy with the small patch of green I saw out in the desert when we hit Johnson Pass and Bill said that was our new home. The juniper trees on the pass were so gnarled from the snow and rough winters. Didn't look like anything I'd seen before.

Thank goodness we were back in Washington in 2-1/2 years. I do have a lot of tales to tell.

Now I'm on to Part 2!

-- posted by jerrib

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