Heads at Ease pillowcase project - our motto is: ALL OR NONE

glad you finished all of your gifts Lyn.  any word on surgery?

Natalie, you are so right.  I do have fun, but I am just plain worn out and now I do have a break finally!  I am working 1 morning at Curves next week and that's it.  I do Curves for me.  We are dog sitting and Olive is a very nice dog, gets along with Tobey well.  Helping Ray and I want to do some sewing.

Out early this morning to make my apron and some Avon deliveries, then I just want to be home!  I don't get to stay home enough.

Hey, we watched a movie last night and I didn't fall asleep!  It's called "Soul Surfer".  Based on a true story and it is wonderful!  We watched it on the STARZ channel.  Check it out.

I also want to see "War Horse".  I believe that is also based on a true story and comes out tomorrow.  Ray isn't up for going to a movie, so we'll wait until Jan.  Check it out.

Happy Christmas Eve all!

I go back to the surgeon on Thursday for more x-rays. Then they will tell me if I need the surgery.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my HAE friends and your families.  May you all have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.  You have all been an inspiration to me these last 6 months and I'm so glad that I found you!

Ladies,

Another year is coming to a end. A new Chapter in our lives will begin. We have all worked very hard this year, anyone that don't think so just look at the numbers. This year God gave us what we needed to complete many large missions. We have been thought a lot of ups and downs this year and look we have made it. I personally could not have made it through a deployment and the heart ache that my daughter is enduring with the divorce. But you ladies have been here and lifted us up in prayer and for that I want to say say thank you. On a final note I would like to with you all a very Blessed Christ-mas and a many Blessing in the New Year. God Bless You ALL!!

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all.  May your day be peaceful and pleasant.

Lyn, you are in my prayers that you will heal without surgery.

Merry Christmas Ladies!! Even though Ben is miles away on the USS Abraham Lincoln, he managed to wake us up this morning with a phone call!!! It was so nice to hear his voice. I hope all of you are either with your sailor or hear from them today. Merry Christmas to all!!!

Merry Christmas to all!  I added one of my favorite songs for today's celebration.

Good for you Dawn!  My Ben was on the Lincoln last Christmas and they were in Dubai.  We got to talk to him that day.  this year, he is sitting in my living room.  

I am not feeling good today.  This is what happens to me when I "let down" even alittle.  So I decided to have a day at home today.  Have a turkey breast in the crockpot and we'll celebrate this afternoon after lunch.   Jazz will come too.  We are it keeping simple, in fact, Ben talked me out of making home made rolls.  I am thankful.

Well said Maryellen.  Yes, HAE has accomplished much this year and all the prayer was/is so appreciated.  If anyone has mailed pcs to someone and not let me know, would you?  I was pretty sure that we would make 20,000 by year's end.  

But if we don't , we sure will next year.

Thank you all for being you and what you do to support our troops.  It is cold, but no snow here.  Anyone else getting snow?

It has been a great Christmas here!  In addition to our son being home,  my daughter made a reveal cake so we would know what she is having.  We will be welcoming Audrey Louise in June!

Christmas blessings to all!!

Sue, That song is my favorite song at this time of year. Thank you for putting that on the play list.

Sue, my 20 pillowcases are done... please send me the address where they need to be sent to. I think it was for the hospital? I haven't been on here much with my Sailor home for Christmas!

Hello all!  I am feeling better, just needed some rest. I got to have 2 whole days in a row that I didn't have to be somewhere!  I left my house only to walk Olive alittle bit.

I finally got my Christmas gifts mailed yesterday.  I have been on the "12 days of Christmas" mode for several years and I just can't worry about it.  The 12 days of Christmas begins on Christmas day and goes to Jan 6th.  So I'm good. haha

So glad that many of you of seeing your sailors!

Natalie!!!!  congrats to your son and his friend for passing their tests.  I hope there is a photo of him getting pinned.

Quilt, as we discussed by email, we are on hold for the hospital right now as she has plenty at the moment.  PTL that means less wounded.

I love that song too ME.

Working at Curves today and the weather is warming up!  Ray will start walking abit outside instead of in the house.  He misses his daily walks.

Hope everyone  had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was good.. I made  the presents this year..which included 2 sets  of place mats.. 11 pillowcases, 2 pillows, a race track, 13 dish cloths, and a  laundry bag.. I still  have a pillow  and a large  pillowcase for my youngest.. We now  have another  driver.. My youngest  is 16 now and will be  getting his permit when he gets back from his brother's He already is  quite  good  driving his  dad's truck.. We  let him drive while we were camping in the forests  of Vermont.. and in the  cemetery where my parents are  buried.. I get to visit the  grave so I like that.. and  he can practice on the many hills.. Also so Grandma can "watch" him drive.... well hubby is home so  I shall stop in again later. Prayers for those who need it..

 Hi Natalie.. Yes I have been busy.. The last 2 days I have spent re-arranging the fabric bins.. All Christmas  fabric.. including  aprons and cloth books in one pole. Disney fabric in another.. race track fabric in another pile. etc.... You asked about the race track.  it is fabric with a  track on it.. houses fire house.. post office.. it even has a  car race  off to the side.. My mom bought a whole bunch  of  it at  Jo-ann, Walmart..  She made them for her Craft fairs.. on one side was the track  fabric  and other side was  coordinating fabric like cars... On the back of my  grandson's  I had fabric  with "Cars" on it.. and that had a race track on that side too. Thank you for your interest... We have had no snow to speak  of.. Well  today  we did  have flurries with wind.. but it didn't amount to anything.. O think its waiting.. It can wait  all it wants.. I have no boots yet so I am not in any hurry for the  white stuff.

Welcome to tmacsmom!  So happy to have you join us.

Hi Nita-you have been busy!  I made my son a race track when he was little.  Still have it packed away somewhere.  I made 7 fleece pcs for Christmas gifts.  that's how I got started making pillowcases many years ago.

Lyn, praying for you tomorrow!

ALSO, got this post tonight from my friend Jeanne in FL:

My sister gave me a big donation!!  She gave this as donations in the kids names as their Christmas present.  She told me she couldn't think of a better orginization to give it to as she was in the Navy and loves what HAE is doing for our military.

Today my Sailor and I leave to go to my mom's so we can take him to the airport in Houston tomorrow.  These past 10 days have passed by so fast but we've sure enjoyed having him home!

The doctor said to come back in a week, but so far no surgery.

 I haven't heard from Alex yet, i'm hoping for Sat.

Cindy that is awesome about a donation.  Got one in the mail today which is timely as I am mailing 90 pcs tomorrow.  Yeah!  and I even made 3 today.  Felt so good to make some.

Lyn that sounds like very good news.  praying that Alex contacts you soon.

 Sorry, NAtalie.. I  have no clue  how I managed to hit the "h" key instead  of the "n" key.

I finally got an email from the Marine in Afghanestan.  They got the sports team pillowcases and loved them.  Sorry I haven't been here for awhile.  Went to Oceana to visit Matt & Jess for Christmas.  Jess had requested placemats for Christmas.  I have made them for several family members now.  Two pieces of fabric with the thin fleece lining in between, serge around the edges with wooly nylon thread and you have a placemat!  I made about 2 dz with different holiday themes.  Now back to PC's!!

Happy New Year everyone!

I should send you some fabric to make some pcs.  I don't have a serger.  A friend asked me about a year ago and I haven't done a thing about it.

Took Ray out this afternoon.  He is pretty tired tonight, as he walked 1 mile today as well.  He got to the bank, Kohl's and our condo.  Need to clean that tomorrow.

Happy New Year to all.  I pray that for the new year, all have good health and that your sailors are safe and sound.

Ladies,

I went thru the 3 years of mailings to verify our numbers.  I found a few adding mistakes, plus and minus, but check out our numbers.  AWESOME!

Thank you to all who have taken an active role in helping us get this done.  We are a team and I so appreciate you!

And Happy New Year!

We finished watching a movie tonight called "The Grace Card" and the new song was at the end.  Check out the movie on Starz.  It was very good.

I mailed the 1st pc of 2012 today!  To another corpsman, a cousin of DawnL.  

Little Olive went home today,.  I will miss her.  But she was so happy to see her mom and dad, she was so cute.  Tobey was checking out the spot that she had her bed in and think he misses her too.  Got some good photos of them.  

In 2011, on 1-1, I mailed pcs and on 12-31, ME and Ally mailed pcs.  So we had that year covered very well.

My friend Jeanne says that her granddaughter is doing really good and thanks us for the prayer.

Ray has driven 2 days in a row, so he is on the mend.  thanks for praying for him.

Ladies, I just spoke to Lyn, she is still alive and doing as good as she can. She does not have to have surgery and things seem to be healing. She is haveing to stay in a sitting up position for now but seems to be in good spirits.

I think its time for a card blitz so if you need her address I have it just email me and I will send it to you. mepeller@bellsouth.net

Welcome to TN navy mom, we are happy to have you join us!

Let's do it Maryellen!

And check out the numbers.  We sure don't let any moss gather on our stones, or err, I guess that would be sewing machines.  haha.

Well look at us turtles go haha.

Ok ladies get the cards ready and lets get them out to Lyn, I know she will love them. You can either contact Sue or myself and we will give you the address.

No moss under my machines, they are too busy to grow moss. HA HA HA

glad to hear that he is liking his new schedule and more importantly, that you are too!

And I love your son's messages!  Nice to have an "insider" with our group.

ha, the turtles have moved again.  and by week's end, WOW!

Mornin' all.  Hope you are all well and staying warm.  Lyn, how is the arm/shoulder?

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120111/news/701119737/

BC recruit died this morning, prayers going up to the family! 

this is so sad.  thanks for posting this quilt.  praying for them.

So sad, praying for this family.

I can't even imagine what this family is going through.  Praying for his family, his shipmates, RDC's and all at GL.

Young man was due to graduate 1/20 from PA. My heart breaks for his family and fiance.

this is so sad.  YM, any chance on getting us info so we can do a special pc for the family?

Ladies, it's official!  We are over 20,000!  I mailed some to the wounded warriors at Betheseda and that took us there.  Actually, a navy mom who is no longer on this site mailed some earlier this week and those took us right to 20,000!

AWESOME job!  back to kinderland-making snow peeps out of creamer bottles

today.

hope all are staying well and warm!  We had lots of rain this morning and I was so happy that I wasn't doing bus duty!

 Hi everyone.. Hope everyone  is doing well. Well I found out recently that I haaaaave   a few very messed up vertebrae in the lumbar region of my back. I have been complaining  of lower back pain for years but finally an  orthopedic dr found out why.. I have  spondlylithesis.. a compression  of the lower lumbar vertebrae..I was born with this..also my  hip sits high on one side and low on the other side.. which explains alot  of the reason through the years I  have  been having  problem with my walking abilities..But I  fel blessed as I know that God wouln't have  given this to me if he didn't believe I could handle the ramifications. I am now doing the SSDI thing.. that is appealing their decision to deny me I even got me a lawyer.. that is  if she feels we have a case..

Meanwhile.. I am going to  stsrt sewing again as that is the one thing I can do. make some pillowcases,  placemats, aprons.. and other things.. I found some  overlocking needles at walmarts.. I got to check to see  if they will fit my serger.. That's another thing I need to do.. rethread the  silly  serger and  get  going on  serging my  days away. I went to use it after getting it back only to find  out that they threaded  it enough to  check the stitching. imagine my surprise when  it ran out  of thread..  Well gotta get hubby up in about 2 hours to get ready for work. TAlk soon.. Nita

Well I just read the HAE update and I have to say it humbled me. When my daughter went into the Navy in December of 2008 I never thought for the life of me I would be on N4M's let alone belong to a group called Heads At Ease. But look Im here now 3 years and would not change a thing that WE ALL have done. We  have gone through a lot of ups and downs, sicknesses, babies being born, You name it we have done it. Sue, it is an honor to be here with you and all these wonderful Ladies of HAE. I know God has a lot in store for us this year, and I could not think of a better place to be then right here. Thank you all for 3 years of love, faith and blessings.

ME

Nita, I am sorry to hear of your back trouble, but so happy that you finally got a diagonsis!  I do think that is half the battle and now you can formulate a plan.

Sewing is a good thing and we will need some pc help again soon.  Hope you can send some.

ME what kind words!   People asked me in Jan 2009 after that 1st mailing if I would continue doing it and I said "YES, as long as I had help etc".  And the very next month was 105 IAs.    If you didn't get the HAE 2011 year end update, pm me your personal email address.

Here's photo from that very 1st mailing.

As is typical of me, I only mailed 1 that time.  I made 3, but gave 2 to people for a sample.

WE are a team and we have accomplished much!  Thank you for supporting our troops!

Please pray for little Will Brown, the 8 year old with leukemia.  He is having trouble again and the docs are really puzzled by his case.

Natalie,

I absolutely hate to lose anything, even a sock in the laundry, so NO WORRIES!  We will pray for you.

did you get around how far the ball went.  You might have such a good throw that it slipped off further than you may think.

Also, think back to when you last saw it on your hand.  If you know right away, great.  But if you are unsure, sit in a chair, relax your mind to remember the last time you saw it on your hand.

Could it be in the car?  I find all sorts of things in my car.

Keep us posted on this!

Praise the Lord for this Natalie!  See well my friend!

Congratuations for finding your ring ( and on over 30 years of marriage)!

Thanks for the newsletter Sue.  Haven't had much time to be here recently.  I do payroll on my job and it is yearend!!  One more group of W-2's and I am done!!  Yeah!! Hopefully I will be back to sewing before the first of February!!

hi ladies, I mailed the last of the pcs to the CEB today.  AND I got back a confirmation on our next group of Marines.  so I am starting the new thread.

We got a surprise today.  My son is married!  He just called last week to tell us they were engaged.  I didn't expect them to get married so soon.  I'm glad that he is happy but a little sad that I wasn't there.

Congrats Cindy!   You can have a wedding party when you see-not as good as the 1st time, but you will be able to celebrate.

Will work on the new Marine thread tomorrow.

Got this from my friend Pat and I do have an address for this hurting young woman if you'd like to send a card.  I am working at Curves tomorrow morning but will be home in the afternoon.  I do think she is Navy.

No we haven't officially met her yet.  We talked some on skype last week until their connection messed up.  She is also in the Navy. They met in San Diego when he heard her talking about one of the RDC's she had in boot camp.  Turns out they had the same one.  She was in the group after his.  Neither one of them are deploying.  They got married in San Diego where they are both stationed at this time.  Hopefully we will be able to meet her soon.  Being in Louisiana it's a little hard to get there.  When they come here we will have a party for sure.

Cindy, if you decide to drive to SD, you will come right thru Tucson.  Call me. 

Natalie, that is just awesome!  Never did skype, but I can imagine how great that is.