February; two birthdays and an anniversary

We had our first anniversary on the 22nd.

A funny thing has happened here, I have gotten used to my beloved sporting a high-powered assault rifle everywhere, she is strangely unfinished without it to me, which is disturbing, sort of.

I have learned so much in the last 365 days about this artistic and alluring, beautiful and bibliophilic, complex and caring, dynamic and dear to my heart, elegant and Elect, fragile and finely wrought, graceful and gregarious, humorous and hopeful, intricate and intimate, jovial and joyful, knowing and kind-hearted, long-haired and long-suffering, melodious and musical, naive and not naive, omnivorous and OCD, pulchritudinous and precocious, quilting and quippish, refined and real, stunning and sincere, tensile and tender-hearted, unequivocal and unabashed, virtuous and very earnest, wistful and well-intentioned, xenophobic by marriage and xenophilic by nature, youthful and young at heart, zealous and zephyrus creature that I know and love as Rachel.

We have had a raucous, wild, exotic honey-moon and first year together, set apart. I can't think of any couple that has gotten combat pay and hazardous duty pay, been mortared and shot at and been so serendipidously happy, all in their first year of marriage...can you?

The traditional first year anniversary gift is paper so we decided to get each other John MacArthur's Bible commentaries, all 28 volumes.

I have often thought about how when bad things happen to a person they are either hardened OR sweetened by them. I wondered about how Rachel would fare before we came over here. I am happy to report that she has gone without so much, been reduced to her rawer elements and seen the very worst that people can do to each other and through it all she has come out so much stronger and refined from the exposure, deprivation and hardships. It has been fascinating and sometimes painful for me to watch her transform and grow and deal with the things at hand. I think that it is possible to be both sweetened and hardened by things. Which is surprising to me because in my personal experiences it has usually been one or the other, with far less balance and emotional symmetry.

In other related news, we both celebrated our birthdays this month. Rachel turned 161 and I turned 287, in dog years. That's 23 and 41.

Anyway, it has been a good 370 days and counting, I will keep you posted.

Ebay and the Sewing Machine

The mad search for a sewing machine has finally come to a close. Mike offered back around Christmas that he would buy me the sewing machine I wanted for my birthday. I said I liked that idea so I started looking into potential candidates. I knew I wanted something multi-purpose that could go through many layers of fabric with ease as not only do I quilt, but Mike has expressed interest in being able to work on projects that involve sewing canvas, denim, leather, etc. I'd also like to have these abilities in a sewing machine. The only problem with the 'house' sewing machine is that it tends to be a jack of all trades. Even though it has the capability to sew through rather tough fabric as long as the needle size/tension/thread thickness ratio is correct, it can't do it for very long and has a high chance of breaking down. The big problem with "industrial strength" machines is they're ridiculously expensive and can only do one thing like button holes or sew straight.

There's also the problem of: multi-purpose. I want something that can embroider, quilt, do all the basic sewing functions, as well as be able to sew through anything and not break down. Most multi-purpose machines out there are a combination of embroidery and quilting/sewing and aren't hardy in regards to tougher fabrics. It's expected you're sewing through softer, finer things to embroider and quilt. They're also very expensive and even though I'd like to invest in one in the future, I just wasn't ready to spend that kind of money on a first sewing machine.

This led me to start researching antique sewing machines when I read a review on Yahoo! about sewing machines that can sew for hours every day, similar to the "industrial strenght" but are much less expensive and for home use. There was a review by a guy who restores and refurbishes antique sewing machines who said that the Singer 201 and 15-91 are the best because they can sew through anything for extended periods of time and not break down. This is due to the fact that the motor is gear operated not belt operated and so you just can't hurt it. The only key is unless you know how to restore them; you have to make sure you're buying it from a reliable source. I then read another article on buying sewing machines through ebay and how to tell if someone is reputable or not in regards to the antique sewing machine.

So why the 15-91 instead of the 201? Well, it's all about the bobbin! The way the bobbin fits into the 15-91 is very forgiving and allows for rather beautiful free quilting and strange threads to be fed into the machine. That was the selling point for me. Both can do pretty much the same thing when it comes to sewing through tough fabrics, but the 201 bobbin goes in differently so you can't do as much creative stuff as easily in regards to quilting.

There's also a lot that can be wrong. As it's from the 1950s it's more than likely got decaying wires, gunk all in the motor, and a whole other list of problems that can lead to personal injury if you don't check before plugging it in and using it. Plus, some people selling just turn on the machine and see the needle go up and down and assume its "working." Just because the needle goes up and down doesn't mean it can sew right. That $15.00 machine might not be exactly what you were hoping for. So after a search through ebay I found one. I also found a cabinet to go with it as it needs to be mounted in something since it's not just built with a base included, and it's a 30 lb. cast iron beauty.

I've put up the pictures. The stool has different upholstery than the one I'm buying. It's this weird velved material. The stool and cabinet aren't sold together as a set as they're from different vendors so we'll probably have to revarnish them to match, which isn't a problem and I think would be a good project for me to do. The picture I posted of a matching set is the wood color I'd go for. I'd also like to reupholster the stool and maybe put a different fabric. I like red and I like velved, but both together are a little gaudy. Plus, for hygiene purposes I think it'd be best to have new fabric and cushion for me to sit on.

I'm pretty excited. I've also started looking into potential embroidery sewing machines. Some of them are so smart it's like they have a mind of their own. The companies I've been looking at in regards to a machine that can do a lot of bells and whistles are: Bernina (the aurora 440 QE), Husqvarna (the lily 550), and Pfaff (the 2056). Michael really wants it to be able to do letters for monogramming purposes, but other than that he's not too picky. Again, the only problem is these machines are rather expensive so it's an investment. The nice thing is you can get a more "mid range" version of the insanely expensive ones that cost about as much as a car, and it'll do everything you need just not be the top of the line version. The ones I listed are more mid-range. I'd just like to have a better idea of how each machine's programming works. And maybe down the line I'll look into a long arm machine...but we'll see. I need to be a rather serious quilter for something like that to happen. Plus, there are a plenty of places out there that offer long arm studios where you can rent a machine for a few hours and voila! Completed quilt!

I'm still in the midst of a bidding war so to speak. They're not "mine" officially yet. I'm not sure about the cabinet and stool because apparently the Queen Anne style is rather rare and it's hard to find both the stool and cabinet together. It's a major collector's item for people who have the antique Singers. Leave it to me to find the thing that's rare and expensive as a result. The sewing maching is going to be a few days yet. I'll keep you posted if I win, though!

All in all we're doing pretty well. Can't wait to be home. I hope everyone's happy, healthy, and safe. TTFN.

~R.

BSM, Bronze Star Medal

I got a Bronze Star recently. This is my 2nd one, my last one was for a completely different reason, up in Mosul. It is sort of humbling when I think of all the others that have received them before me.
I don't have much else to say right now. I hope we get home soon, we have been mortared several times lately. I hate that helpless, hemmed in feeling.

The Funny Moments of Life

You know how there are just those moments where the only thing that could make it so funny is life? Lately Michael and I have had our fair share of them. This picture is of Michael holding up one of his "Plackers Hi-Performance Flossers." One of our laughing moments. For some reason this was incredibly funny to us. He put up on his facebook how these have made flossing a whole new experience for him and we thought it was a hoot.

I'm still drawing although I took a break from it yesterday. I had to pull guard duty in between the hours of 1 and 3 AM and just didn't get that much sleep as a result. So I slept from about 5 PM to 8 AM today. I've been trying to get a variety of stuff done throughout the day via keeping a list schedule, and the other day I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

This was supposed to be a drawing of folds, but turned into a weird abstract thing. Yesterday after Mike finished blogging he saved his blog in the wrong spot. I've been thinking about making a kind of artist blog for myself and so I started up a new domain name, but just haven't done much with it yet. He saved it to that domain name and then couldn't find his latest entry up here. So he asked me to figure out what went wrong, and when I told him what I think he might've done he said, "You know what, I think you might be right! That's just the sort of thing I'd do on accident because I'm a technology idiot." We started howling as a result. For some reason that was just amazingly funny to us.

This drawing was insanely frustrating. The sole of the foot is very difficult to do.

Michael had his award ceremony the other day. He got a Bronze Star for his end of tour award this year. This is his second one.

This hand drawing is Michael's favorite drawing so far. I'm holding my JSCM, which is my end of tour award. He says it looks the most real because I foreshortened it. We've been laughing today while Michael goofed around with these glow sticks he found in a discarded care package. He does these dances that are hysterical. We also went on a "double date" to the local DFAC for ribs as on Sundays they make these amazing ribs...so good. It actually felt normal to do even if we are in Iraq. So all in all things are good. We're happy and less than 30 days until we go home. We've been getting a lot of time together, which is always nice. Especially when once we get back we're going to have to get into the grind of things again. So we hope everyone's doing well. We love you and hope you're safe and happy. TTFN.

~R.

FACEBOOKERS ANONYMOUS

I initially didn't like this blog, or facebook or anything where I needed to get too far outside of my comfort zone, trusting technology...this fad that has taken root and I am sure is somehow a pathologically addictive mechanism of the CONTROLLERS. I think THEY do it with sequencial colors or sub-audible beeps and tones combined with some chemicals that they expose us to somehow, I haven't figured it out yet...continue, ad nauseam, the paranoid rant...

Now I really, really like this stuff, all these people from the past right there at your fingertips, "Hi, good to see you on facebook, the last time we spoke was 7th grade, how's life treating you...stay in touch..." and I do! It is amazing.

This blog is fun, too. I couldn't imagine putting it all out there before, but now it is fun and...? Just fun, I guess. I do it because Rachel insists I blog every other time...we take turns and secretly because I want people to hear me. It is a bite sized update...it is like how people that never talk but live near each other, adjacent farms, neighborhoods...just wave to each other and pass each other in the grocery, getting that "live feed update"...kids growing, healthy, sick, new pet, car, fence,...this is just more informative...blah blah blah

I am going to look into this more thoroughly, what is the purpose and scope...I have been just coasting, it's fun...but WHY?
Mike



Well we will be home soon, I am trying to stay tuned in here on mission and not get too distracted by HOME.

More Drawings!

Michael wasn't kidding when he said I was drawing up a storm. His cousin, Darlene, has been giving me critiques via Facebook. It's been giving me a kind of drive to draw as close to everyday as possible. I haven't felt inspired to draw in awhile, but this project has really given me new purpose with it.This first one is a couple of exercises she recommended, and they're my interpretation of her instructions. One was to draw an object inside of a box. For some reason the first mental image that came to mind was to draw a kind of "see through" box around the object instead of literally putting an object inside of a box and drawing it. After I finished I realized I might have made the idea more abstract than it needed to be. The ink drawing next to it is with Micron pens. The idea was to make a kind of "scheme" with the lines regarding shading and closeness of some of the objects. So the thicker, closer together lines are the dark shading while the thin, wide set lines are lighter shading.

This one is based off of a photograph of Darlene in her younger years after her baby girl was born. I love this picture, especially the faces. At first I was going to focus on the faces, but really liked how the baby's foot was caught in her shirt. It reminds me of the old paintings of Mary with baby Jesus. Michael even said, "You should put a halo around their heads and just focus on the heads." He agreed, though, that the leg and foot were a nice addition.

This is of Michael's hand with his watch and compass all in one. Next to his hand is a honey badger. We discovered honey badgers one night while looking at YouTube videos. We were talking about badgers, typed it into YouTube and the honey badger came up. These badgers take on lions, eat poisonous snakes, and run and run and run during the day. They also constantly eat. There's one video where a badger gets bitten in the face while killing a poisonous snake for food. He starts eating it, passes out for two hours from the venom, and then wakes back up only to begin eating again! Here's the link to this video. Essentially they're completely fearless. After watching these videos I told Michael if he were an animal he'd be a honey badger because he's that fearless.

This is of my feet while I was lounging in bed and had them crossed. I actually drew this really fast and Michael commented saying, "Feet are easy for you to draw." Michael mentioned my award in his most recent post. It's not the 5th highest, he got his numbers mixed up. It's the 15th, I believe. A link that goes into the order of precedence can be found here. It's airforce and army combined. A link to the history of the general commendation medal can be found here and specifically the joint commendation medal here.

I'm pretty happy for my award. I feel like I did work worthy of earning it (as the first sergeant said himself). It can be rather disheartening to see people get awards that are far above the actual work level they did. Several people were upset with that situation, but it's important to keep things in perspective. I can claim my award with a clear conscience and that's what's important. I went on between 400 - 500 missions during my deployment and wrote 75 awards, about 60 of which were given during the end of tour award ceremony. I also did the platoon sergeant's job when it came to his paperwork, etc. for about two months of the deployment. So I'm happy with the award and level of work I did. I grew as a medic, soldier, and person from this deployment so I'm happy with the end result in myself more than any award. As that's the reward that lasts a lifetime.

We hope all of you are doing well and we love you. Stay safe. TTFN.

R.

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Rachel received ANOTHER medal during this deployment, the JCOM. It is for among other things"...exceptionally meritorious service..." I know there are other people that have received the same award and higher but I think that our 1SG summed it up best when he said, "SPC Woolley, you actually earned and deserve this medal". He should know, so do I. I won't ruin it for Rachel, I will let her post a picture and give you all the details but it is significantly impressive, I think that it is the 10th highest award in the Army. Hooah.

We are winding down and it is hard to concentrate on the here and now when we can practically smell home form here. We are not home until we are home.
Some how Rachel has convinced me to take her aid-bag and one of her duffle bags home in our connex so that means on customs day I get to unpack, inventory and pack HER things, she must be part Jedi...I know that she would do the same for me though, if the table were turned. I can just see the customs inspector now when I pull out her hotpink kimono or undergear...she assures me that that was all in the OTHER box or bag. I can still see the customs dude in Kuwait when we came home on leave and I was carrying Rachel's OTHER bag because I was traveling light, she wasn't. When her high-heels fell out with a bra he and I looked at the pile, our eyes meet, looked back down and he goes "I don't even want to know". I will keep you posted once we are inspected this time.
Rachel has been sketching/drawing up a storm, which seems to make her happy. I have been bestowed the appellation, nom de guerre of The Royal Pencil Sharpener.
I have gotten for myself a keeper, a good wife.
When we get home we intend to drive South to see some family then over to AZ to see some more family and friends.
I think that it is starting to warm up here again.
M

Art Projects

So I've finished a few of my art projects I decided to undertake while here. One of them was the cranes, which is the second picture. The drawing is one of Michael I did a few days ago. I've been conversing via Facebook with Mike's cousin Darlene. She's a professional artist/teacher and got me inspired to draw regularly again. I'll post more from my sketch book as I fill its pages. It's kind of nice to just sit down and draw every few days. I haven't been able to do it everyday just yet, but about every 3 seems to be the case.

Things are slowing down even more. It's pretty nice. The one thing I'm not really looking forward to is the 0500 formations every morning that comes with being back in the states. Oh well...I'm working on getting placed at Madigan, which should be good. I'm looking forward to being in a hospital again. I've got a rather large school undertaking that's getting ready to happen once we return.

All in all we're doing pretty well. I'm enjoying my down time with Michael. I think I've shifted the items around in our room about five times since we've started packing and getting our boxes to the conex to be shipped in a couple of weeks. Michael finds it a bit compulsive, but can't complain since every time I do move the "furniture" around I also clean like a maniac. Hard to imagine for my parents, I'm sure.

Life is good. We got some beautiful birthday/anniversary cards from my dad and Kris today. They made us smile. It's nice to know people you love are thinking about you. It's so strange being here knowing that the rest of the world is carrying on while you're in this little microcosm of a place focusing on completing a mission. The Super Bowl has been going on and the only reason I know is because they've allowed the soldiers a two beer limit yesterday (Sunday) and today (Monday) in celebration. Mike and I didn't partake as we feel weapons, a combat zone, and alcohol don't exactly mix very well...especially when you've been alcohol free for the better part of a year and your tolerance is way down.

It's hard to believe that soon we'll be back in the states. It was hard to believe I'd finally get here because a year seems so long in some ways. Certain parts of the deployment just moved like molasses and others just flew by. Now we're at the home stretch and I'm so excited as well as a little sad. We've spent the first year of our marriage here and our first home was this little 10'x14' box. I've grown really fond of it. Don't get me wrong, it will be really nice to be in a house and have room to spread out, but this whole experience was very good for us.

Well, I need to try and get some sleep. We love all of you. TTFN.

R.