Warning : Musk Sticks are not for the faint of Heart

So I sent J2 a care parcel recently with some Aussie sweets and munchies in it.

Included therein was a packet of

J2 has given me permission to quote the following message he sent:-

The Must flavor Sticks were a trip i have a sensitive sense of smell so i got sick but the reaction when my buddies ate them was priceless

I'm not quite sure what "priceless" means in this situation... hopefully it doesn't translate as American Military speak for "we shall track you down and tell you awful jokes until you are sorry" (or some variation on the theme).

Bwhahaha.... next month I'll see about sending him some Vegemite

Pax is a Slacker! - updates follow...

I swear that I think to myself "I must go update my blog" and then life intervenes and I'm once again weeks away from the last post and feeling guilty [actually I do guilt really well - the nun's at my girls school *really* had an effect on me... but that's another tale]

Updates on the "Boys":

Justin *may* have been located.  Actually he may be where he's always been just that my mail is now reaching him(?)  You might recall that I had the Cunning Plan to send a small parcel to him via Amazon.com.  In the Past if I've had parcels rebound to them they have advised me promptly, so I knew that if J's parcel bounced back to them I should hear about it in 3 or so weeks from sending date.  Last week passed by and nothing received from Amazon so I'm really hoping that he got the book okay.  I've now resumed my regular letters to him in the hope they get through too - I can hope at least.

K is home on leave - happy thoughts are directed to him and his family.

C had a birthday late September. Parcel with cake in it arrived early and I remembered to think Warm, Fuzzy thoughts at him on the day [yes yes... points to the peanut gallery ... it IS a fact that so many of my normal thoughts are naturally "fuzzy" - these ones had extra fuzz applied :D]

J2 has been in touch via Facebook and Myspace (oooh social networking how I do love thee, you maketh it easy for me to know people are safe).  He's reported back on the Aussie treats he received and I'm hoping he'll let me quote his reaction to the Musk sticks :)

Oooh and I may have a guest blogger or two lined up. Kyle (he of the air force and amusing quips) has agreed to be Primo Guineus Piggus so we'll see how that goes.

In 'at home' news - work: we may be back in our library by the end of October (see my post on what happened to it here). The refit is shiny & new & utilised all of the insurance money. It's also in shades of grey, white & charcoal (dull dull dull) and we are verbotten from putting anything colourful (or interesting) on the walls or in our cubicles. I'll post photos when I get back down there.

My mum... she has been getting along okay. Remaining cheerful. They can't give her Radium treatments unfortunately (aparently you can only have one dose of those in a lifetime and since she had a cancer 20 years ago that was her 1st & only chance at that). So they are giving her some sort of oral treatment that will hopefully disperse the cancerous cells missed by the op. Time will tell how that goes.  My Middle brother Mike & his family travelled up from Sydney for a weeks long visit.  Two of my three nephews were there (the eldest had to work unfortunately) so Mum & Dad had two rambunctious teenagers (14 & 15) running about the place. They looked like they loved every minute of it.  Family lunch on the weekend (BBQ with the Men tending the flames and the women sitting & chatting - got to love tradition :D) saw all of the family gathered together for a few hours. Good to see them even if the reason to is a sad one.

It's Sunday Pm here so I need to stop larking about on the computer and go do some chores (walk to the shop in the rain for some groceries; clean the kitchen; vacuum the cat.. okay vacuum the cat FUR off of everything but idea 1 might stop the problem at the source)  No rest for the wickedly Pax.

Pax Nostalgic

Have I mentioned that I love 1940's music?  Especially the Andrews Sisters & Glenn Miller and his Band?

I was probably the only kid in the 80's that would rather watch an old Black & White World War II era musical than Countdown (For my USA friends think a variation on Solid Gold without the fabo dancers).  This fascination was rivaled of course with my love of John Wayne* movies

"Private Buckaroo"

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Glenn Miller

IN the Mood - Glenn Miller & his Band

Definitely the Golden Age of Swing!

*(it became tradition from when I was very young that I would always watch John Wayne movies with my Uncle George. He'd lost his own children to a very bitter divorce and an embittered ex-wife who whisked them out of his life; and this became one of our bonding rituals whenever he would return from his long months of construction working jobs. Over the years I must have seen almost all of The Duke's films, all made that much more enjoyable by spending the time with a dearly loved and now sadly missed uncle.  He never did get me a real six-shooter - which considering how my mum feels about my natural klutziness was probably a good thing - but that promise of "one day, when you're grown up, and if you are good" kept me toeing the line for years.)

RAK's make me a Happy Pax

One of the Bloggers that I follow - AirManMom - posted about a young Marine of her acquaintance who is back Downrange.

Small RAK* package of Australian silliness and munchies heading off to him shortly, with love from Pax. (musk sticks and a tinned marsupial *may* have been included - wicked grin)

*Random Attack of Kindness

*******************

In other news, Kyle finally made it home! (I'll see if he will allow me to post about some of his travel adventures at a later date)

Spring has Sprung!

Welcome to the Southern Hemisphere - where Spring begins on the 1st of September and we go from wearing an extra jacket to ward of the cold (no seriously.. anything under 15 degrees here and we think we're freezing!) to breaking out the flower allergy meds and summer clothes.

I love Spring - despite the occasional snuffly nose & swollen eyes from the flying pollen - Brisbane is semi-tropics so Spring & Autumn are the best seasons here. (winter as I have said is chilly & windy for we poor frail bunnies and summer is heat and humidity). October / November will see the Jacaranda trees bloom too.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacarandatree.jpg

 I'd love to send my adoptees some blooms but can you imagine the dramas the Customs people would have over it? [Bwahaha.... "parcel marked as floral delights" - probably wouldn't make it through]

In "My Guys" news - C & K look to be going okay.  C has a birthday later this month so some Aussie Yums have been ordered and will hopefully be dispatched to him shortly. There's a fruit cake in the parcel but no candles unfortunately... oh and some Musk sticks which another adoptee has described as

"I finally know what the colour pink would taste like - let's never do THAT again!"

Newest Adoptee J2 is a sci-fi lover too so I'm going to be happily sending weird stuff (tm) to my hearts content. Oh and possibly some useful stuff too since that always seem to be appreciated.

I've still had no word on Justin but I have a cunning plan - actually it's more that I've realised just how efficient the mail services are in returning things to Amazon.Com.  So there's a book been sent off to J at the last known address and I will wait for 3 or so weeks to see if Amazon contact me to say it's returned (I'm being hopelessly optimistic that the mail-return snafu was simply from him being home on leave or something. Best leave me to my delusions of his safety - I get less teary-eyed that way).  I also found someone on Myspace that may or may not be in his unit and have left a message that hopefully does NOT come across as weird fangirl stalker.  Just a message asking if he does know Justin to pass on that mail has been returned and I'm worried about him.  Probability of that reaching a) the right person & b) eliciting a reply is very low but any chance at knowing that he is okay (alive, well, happy, finds-me-too-weird-and-could-I-go-away-please) is one that I'd like to take. The Not knowing is the hardest part.

And in the Random Friends met recently - I have a new penfriend courtesy of Green Bean's Cup of Joe program.  W is funny, articulate and amusing and I'm really enjoying chatting back & forth with him via emails.   If you think you'd like to do a spot of troop support but can't afford the time or funds for Soldiers Angels then maybe give Green Beans a go and help support the caffeine addiction of your troops at the front (go oooon.. you know you want the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you've helped a fellow coffee lover to attain their daily "fix" :D)**

Oh! and Kyle who I mentioned in my last post (also found via Green Beans) should be home to the States this week.  Very happy to know that he'll be home & safe and within walking/driving distance of a Caffeine source that doesn't require him to keep his weapons with him at all times.

**legal disclaimer - I don't get any benefits from either of these groups and am quite sure they'd both be going "umm.. how the heck does an Aussie know about us?"  and hopefully not plotting how to get me to go away :D

More spring blooms!

Pax Augustus

I am not quite sure where the month of August went - I *blinked* and suddenly it's almost gone.

So a bit of a recap for all those following at home.

No word on Justin :( - I have been back in touch with my mentor at Soldiers' Angels and she is still looking into the situation.  It's possible that some of my mail got re-routed by error (via the USA Baghdad Embassy which.. I don't know.. seems more worrying than anything) and J is both safe & well and possibly wondering why the annoying Aussie lady is neglecting him (I really really hope & pray that's the case).  I have been considering seeing if I can find a contact for a Chaplain at FOB Stryker - just someone who can say "Yes! He's fine - stop worrying". I don't really know though if that would breach privacy or Opsec or SA rules so I'll think on it before I take any steps.

M.P. C finally received his replacement toys (the first order of two blue ones missed reaching C at his original base by 3 days and was promptly returned to Amazon by the express plodding pony post. 3 weeks later I was advised it had been returned & refunded... so new order arranged, resent)  - two of these to make the hot sunny days go by faster.

Newest adoptee J2 should have received a SA's hygiene pack by now too (my friend Vicki in California had to be my liaison for that, since I can't actually buy directly from SA's store [you have to be a resident of the USA to be able to use your credit cards there] and she included a sweet note from me to J as well).  September parcel for J2 will be Aussie sweets and a tinned marsupial since it's important to start the Aussie madness early (keep 'em laughing is definitely my motto.  Oh okay.. I lie.. My motto is actually "nothing in writing, nothing on film. Maintain the denability" but lets not scare the nice bewildered american military... at least not till they *really* get to know me :D )

K is going okay I believe - he posts on his Facebook page occasionally - helps me know he's safe & well.

Oh... and did I tell anyone about Kyle?  He found me via Green Beans Cup of Joe program and we've been exchanging emails for a while now.  Absolute Geek - I loves him lots (in a totally platonic he's-super-funny/lots-of-fun & gets-my-weird-movie-references kind of way of course).  I just recently organised a parcel O' goodies for him - including Vegemite with crackers and a tinned marsupial... reptile (I *ordered* the marsupial honest! but they had to make a substitution just before shipping. Sigh... at least it still required a can opener to get into).  He tells me that he has some really amusing photos of his boss trying the Vegemite (i suspect my trans-national love vibe is not working with *that* air force gentleman now Bwhahaha!).  Really - there's a trick to eating Vegemite and one day I'll share it with you all (maybe *wink*)

For those who have asked, and sent prayers, my mum is going okay. Still recovering from the operation and about to be subjected to some more scans and proddings (sadly the specialist believes they have found more tumours).  Mum is making sure that she greets every day with a smile and tries to appreciate the little joys that life brings.  So one day at a time and we are all counting our blessings as we go.

A Prayer for Justin

O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer,
please set angels over me to keep me in all Your ways,
to bear me up in their hands and to keep my feet from stumbling.
http://www.prayer-and-prayers.info/favorite-prayers/soldier-prayer.htm

Mail I have sent to my Strong and Very Silent Soldier, Justin, has begun to be returned.

Please send prayers his way as I try to find out from Soldiers' Angels if they know if he's simply headed home (I hope) and gone "No Mail".

Sad Pax