It's the simple things in life...

Our Commissary here in Vicenza is looking at having to shut down. Congress has cut their funding. They have enough funds to support their employees through next week, but will have to close after that. Congress is meeting to discuss the ...problem and whether or not they will provide funding. This will not be good for the local military families. We could shop on the local markets but we won't always know what we are buying and how to get things quickly if we need them; such as certain medicines, diapers, other things. Also, the local economy is much more expensive than the Commissary is. That will mean more money being spent by military families that we really don't have to spend. Military families have taken pay cuts due to budget cuts by Obama. We take our national deficit very seriously and so you don't hear too many families say a whole lot about the pay cuts. But we would like to keep our groceries so we can comfortably feed our families. I don't understand why the government asks our men and women and their families to stand in the line of fire and perform their duties, but show appreciation by trying to take so much away from us. Yes, they do offer great healthcare benefits, but some of that is also dwindling in the way care is offered and how much is given. Life insurance is great, but who wants to use that?!
And while we are discussing all of this let me add, I don't think with all the world in such turmoil right now, that now is an appropriate time to downsize the military Mr. President.
With all this said, would you please consider emailing your Congressman and asking them to speak out against cutting our funds for the Caserma Ederle Commissary in Vicenza, Italy. Thank you so much! I will provide contact information for the congressman for the states I know of.  Please locate your congressman through the link below and contact them for us.  Thank you so much!    http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml    Just a thought, but if they close our Commissary, I WON'T be able to use coupons!!!!!!!!!!!!!  agh!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I sort of took a wrong turn today.  We were listening to the Adventures In Odyssey (on CD) and I ended up at the entrance to the autostrada (Italy's interstate).  I did not have the GPS, I had left my cell phone at home, and worst of all, I had no Euro.  You have to pay to drive on the autostrada.  There was nowhere for me to turn around and escape, so I had to just proceed.  You get a ticket when you enter and you do not pay until you exit.  I headed in the direction that I thought my house was (I was right), and said a quick prayer.  I found a few things that looked familiar, so I went with instincts and went towards them.  I had to exit the autostrada, so I asked the Italian gentleman at the booth to take my credit card for payment.  It was only 80 euro cent, but he still took it for me.  Nice man!  :)  They can choose to have you pay the full fee which costs the amount that it takes to drive the entire length of the autosrada.  VERY nice man.  :)  I quickly found my way back to where I was suppose to be.  I was quite proud of my sweet skills!  And VERY grateful to God for helping me!  :) 

Fisher fell and hit his little (BIG) head tonight again.  Poor little guy.  He just can't stay on his feet.  Abbi and Hunter have had trouble with that as well lately.  They have been using their Heelys in the house on the marble floors.  Heelys and marble don't go well together.  They keep busting their butts! 

Our neighbors upstairs, the other MP and his wife, brought us a nice surprise tonight.  We got a microwave, a coffee pot, and a toaster!  They are all 220 volts!  Yay for sweet neighbors and free things! 

I am so very thankful that my dear friend Laura and her sweet little family are all ok.  They are in Hawaii and near the Tsunami.  So thankful her hubby, Mike, made it home from Korea in spite of everything.  :) 

Happy Birthday today to my best friend, Anna!  Congratulations girl, you are as old as me once again!  :))  YESSSSSS! 

Rob has to work kennel care tonight, so the kids and I will be all by our lonesomes.  :(  At least I know we have some good neighbors upstairs and RITA!  Abbi is upset because I didn't mention her ankle biter, Starla!  hahahaha!  As a matter of fact, Starla isn't even an ankle biter.  She would totally welcome anyone into our home as long as they love on her.  Time to crawl into bed and enjoy my pillow and blanket all to myself.  Goodnight!