I just gotta know what you think!

I was flipping through the June edition of edition of Redbook Magazine and came across this gem:

Article about X-ray scanners in Redbook Magazine June, 2012.

Apologies about the distorted photo - it's from my camera phone. Basically, the article says that the new airport scanners (the scanners that require you to stand with raised arms) have recently been banned in Europe because of health concerns. Reportedly, the amounts of radiation emitted have been measured at 45 times higher than the TSA claims.

I'll be honest...I've never been a fan of these. When they showed up in the Memphis airport last year, I actively dodged them... when the husband went through one in the Pensacola airport a couple of months ago, it detected a Kleenex in his pants pocket...which is more than enough to make me think, "Hmmmmm!"

It doesn't take that much more time to get the pat down (because so few people actually request it)...and I just try to pretend that I'm getting a free mini-massage. :)

So - what do you think? Do the new scanners emit less radiation than the radiation emitted from a cell phone (as the TSA claims)? Are they scary enough to make you a "pat down" girl? Or is all this concern much ado about nothing?

Tell me, tell me. :)

Perspective

Perspective is both a beautiful and a confounding thing.

Perspective doesn't change the situation or circumstances, but it definitely shapes your level of comfort or discomfort with a situation....

I love his perspective...but also wish someone would come along and flip him back over :)

Cute, huh? :)

Is perspective a choice? Although we can't necessarily choose what we see (perception), we can often choose how we interpret what we see.

Example of perception: which do you perceive first? The vase? Or the faces?

Here's another example - Kansas is known for having some seriously hot and dry summers. I could easily convey this information to my folks in one of two ways:

1. Man, it is hot as Hades here and it's just a matter of time before everything burns up, dies and turns brown (Do you think they'll be biting at the bit to come for a visit anytime soon?)
2. It's another bright, beautiful, picture perfect sun shine-y day! Not a cloud in sight! (Sounds like I'm hanging out at Club-Med with a tropical non-alcoholic beverage in the Cayman Islands.)

Both statements are equally very true. But, let's be honest, which one makes summer time in Kansas more bearable and shareable (I really would like for my folks to visit!)?

Example of when perception meets perspective...

But what happens when perception & perspective intersect? 
While both of the adorable stick figure people rightly perceive and agree that the glass is "half"...they differ on what that means. One views the "half" favorably...as "full," while the other views that very same "half" less favorably...as "empty." So this tells me that perspective has more to do with how we view or JUDGE situations (and even people)! Are you observing a coworker's behavior and judging him to be "aggressive" and "pushy"...OR, could it be that he's really "passionate" and "motivated"? When your Mom calls you every other day, is she "smothering"...or "caring"? (BTW - My mom does not call me every other day...in fact, I can't remember the last time she called me! She doesn't have to...I am usually the one to call every other day. Does this make me "smothering?" Ha!)

Wouldn't it, therefore, make good sense to periodically stop and examine the "why"s that underlie our perspectives?

This is a deep subject...and one that I'm still marinating on/in. :)
It's fun...and it's definitely food-for-thought.  

Happy Monday. Make it count. :)

Capitol Confusion

Sometimes, in married life, you have conversations with your spouse.  And they are wildly amazing. You make the most wonderful plans together - plans about life, plans about dinner, and plans about what to do on the weekend. And you find that you're in perfect agreement with one another and that decision making just comes so naturally because you're just so in-sync with each other...

And then you realize...

It was all your head.

You know, I could've sworn that the hubby and I had discussed attending the event at the First Territorial Capitol of KS tomorrow...

This building was the capitol for only four days in 1855, but many believe that the actions of the legislature that met here led directly to the Civil War.

Join us for a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood and the start of the Civil War. We'll also commemorate the arrival of Kansas Territorial Governor, Andrew Reeder, and the first territorial legislature at Pawnee in 1855.


Historic re-enactors and encampments, Pioneer craft and skill demonstrations, Meeting of the "Bogus Legislature," Period music performed by the Territorial Troubadours, Milford Nature Center display of birds of prey, Homemade pies and refreshments, and at 1 p.m. the Territorial Legislature's lively and historic meetings will be re-enacted.

Sounds fun, right? It ought to be a real hoot...now I just need to re-convince convince my husband that we should go! Wish me luck... :)

You can learn more about the First Territorial Capitol of Kansas HERE.

Happy weekend y'all!

Five Friends

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately...about friends. No, not the tv show Friends; I'm talking about real honest-to-goodness friends and what it means to be a friend and what I appreciate most about some of my friends.

Please close your eyes for just a moment and take a slow, deep breath. Now think of the word "friend" and hold that thought in your mind...and let your mind drift for a moment. Who appears? What do you treasure most about the friend who comes to mind? Why do you think the image of this friend came into your mind first? Second? What emotions come to the surface when thinking about these friends? What makes you smile? What do you appreciate?

That's the journey I'm on right now. And it is very enlightening...a truly rewarding experience.

While I'm working through a blog posting about "Five friends every woman should have," I'd be most interested to hear from you - what are the qualities or characteristics that your most treasured friends and/or meaningful friendships possess?

If you have an interest in this subject matter, then by all means (!) please participate in this process along with me! :)

Here's how:
1. Post a comment in the comment section below and tell me what makes a good friend and/or an enduring friendship.
2. Message me - mollerberg@facebook.com
3. Call me - nothing beats a good, friendly, conversation about friendship to brighten a day
4. If you have your own blog, and would like to write a blog posting on this topic, please let me know and I'll link to your posting when I finish my own posting next week.

I'm hoping to wrap up this project by next Wednesday 6/27 - will keep you posted!

Ciao for now!
A

Red Folder

Marriage. It's new. And kinda fun. 

Invariably, there are little projects that need my husband's attention. I hate "needling" him with a ton of requests scattered throughout the week so, in an attempt to "batch" these requests, I've decided to save these little "honey-do" items for a certain day of the week: Wednesday (unless, of course, it requires more urgent attention.)

Additionally, if it's paperwork, it goes straight into the "Red Folder."

Currently, our Red Folder is really bulging...

Uh oh - that's a lot of stuff that needs attention!

So I feel the need to provide a little "encouragement"...

Sharing a little love note as a "pick-me-up" :)

How do you manage the important day-to-day and week-to-week tasks & paperwork?

To-do

Today is a busy day!

Yesterday was part of my husband's 4-day weekend (also known as "the training holiday") which means that he was home all day with me yesterday. Yipieee!!!! We slept in and spent some time at the pool before running errands and grilling out. It was a nice, refreshing day!

Now I'm playing catch-up...it's amazing just how messy your living space becomes when you spend 4 full days indoors! I'm on my way out the door to go on Post...there are errands to be run, conversations to be had and problems to be {hopefully} solved. I plan on bringing the husband a lunch...and packing some running shorts and tennis shoes for later...!

How I wish my to-do list looked like this today:

Saw this posted on Facebook & just couldn't resist sharing :)

I hope you are having a great day :)

Going to the Chapel

My husband & I said our wedding vows 6 months ago yesterday...and while I do not plan to commemorate the occasion on a monthly basis, I do want to pause to enjoy the moment while we are still at Fort Riley. :)!!

I've mentioned it before - I fully expect that our time at Riley will be complete within the next 11 months (approximately) and then we'll be whisked away to who-knows-where. So I hope you'll indulge my sentimentality about the geographical location where we fell in love & married. :)

We married in the historic Main Post Chapel on 12/17/11...we anticipated chilly temperatures (and of couse, wind!!!!)...and, for a brief moment in time the forecast called for SNOW. What we got, instead, on that day was pure sunshine and temperatures nearing 60 degrees!! Completely unseasonal for Kansas in December.

Nearly every Sunday since I moved to Ft. Riley (a little more than 2 months) we've attended protestant services in the chapel where we married...and it is sweet. I still get giddy when we drive up on Sunday mornings. :) It's a beautiful old chapel constructed from 1897-1898 and clothed, nearly exclusively, in the limestone native to this part of Kansas. I've already started to think about what it will be like when we eventually move from this area and no longer have occasion to visit or frequent the area...and that just makes me want to celebrate these little milestones all the more while we are here!

Main Post Chapel Fort Riley, KS (credit to my friend April Blackmon)

So, in honor of our 6-monthly-versary yesterday, we shared a tiny little kiss when we walked out of the morning church service... :)

Fear of Missing Out?

Especially with summertime here, it seems like every single form of social media is abuzz with exciting friend adventures - sooo many photos of trips, travel, recreation and relaxation! It is wonderful to see such good friends delighting in life...but I also want to shout out from the rooftops for others (who may be tied to a computer or a cubicle) to remember that no one's life is perfect. Sometimes it takes a friendly reminder to realize that it is completely normal that people (yes, myself included!) usually only share the GOOD and the WONDERFUL things in life...rarely do we post about things that are BORING or SAD. So, if you're experiencing FOMO (abbreviated version of "Fear of missing out")...don't despair! There are plenty of us who are entrenched in the mundane from time-to-time...in fact, this is how much/most of our lives are spent in reality!

Look! I'm doing laundry today - totally boring, right? :)

Hang in there...and, when it's your turn to experience something fun & exciting, please post about these adventures so the rest of us can live vicariously too! :)

Love to everyone, 
And happy Friday!

A:)

V-I-C...T-O-R-Y!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARMY!!

Did you know that there's a week in the month of June that includes concerts, combatives, skeet shooting, water polo, sand volleyball, golf, competitive running, softball, bowling, tug-of-war, arm wrestling, weightlifting, basketball, billiards and paintball?

No, I'm not talking about "field day" in elementary school (but, wow, those were really great!).

It's VICTORY WEEK here at Fort Riley! All week long there is literally a smorgasbord of activities for soldiers and civilians alike! The traffic and parking has been a little crazy, but it's all been well worth it just to see the excitement over the Army's Birthday!

Click to enlarge the image of the schedule of events!

It all culminated with Thursday's Birthday Celebration - which not only honored the Army's 237 years, but also the 1st Infantry Division's 95th year! - held at 10:30am on the Custer Hill Parade Field. It was a terrific Ceremony - the General and the Command Sergeant Major both spoke and there were several thousand soldiers in attendance. Here's a rundown of the events:

These guys kicked off the Ceremony by firing this cannon!

To honor the Army's long history, soldiers were dressed in uniform from each significant period of war.

Members from the Cavalry cut the birthday cakes with sabres - don't the cakes look wonderful?

The Army Band played...you guessed it!...the Big Red One Song and the Army Song. It was great to sing along (loudly only on the words I knew!) with all the soldiers - very memorable. 

Hooah!

Rules of the Road

I have been really excited to share this post for a long, long time... :)

Driving around an Army Installation can be quite an experience. It's a small ordeal just to get on to post...but, once you've gained admittance, you can't help but notice that you're definitely not in civilian-land! I've tried my best to capture some of my very first obvious impressions of driving around the Installation...and, to sum it up, I'd say that if you imagined a mix of/cross between a college campus and a National Park/battleground, you'd pretty much get the idea!

Here's the skinny on how driving on Post is like driving on a College Campus:

1. There are MPs (Military Police) on Post and they mean business. Remember "campo's" from your college days? Campus cops have nothing on these guys/gals.
2. You don't speed. You just don't. (see #1, above)
3. You never, never, never must use your cell phone whilst driving! Did I mention there are MPs? If they catch you talking & driving or texting & driving, you will have your Post driving privileges taken away. And you wouldn't ever want that to happen. If you simply must take a call or text, it is very common/customary to pull off to the side of the road.
4. Just like college campuses, there are reserved and restricted parking spots. And, trust me on this one, if you are ever tempted to park in a reserved spot because you're running late to a function, you will feel a wave of terror. :)
5. You will need to watch carefully for pedestrians. It is very common for soldiers to be walking during the day between/among buildings.  

Here's the skinny on how driving on Post is like driving on a National Battleground or State Park:

Exhibit 1: Random weaponry. It is literally littered everywhere. On the sidewalks, in front of buildings...you simply can not escape the tanks from various eras.

These are tanks from WWII, I believe. There's a collection of 4 of them adjacent to the Parade Field.

Exhibit 2: Horse jumps. These are placed in front of every major building and place of historical significance and are designed to give you pertinent information about the building or monument. These are uniquely "Riley" since Fort Riley has its historical roots deep in the cavalry. As an interesting aside - when driving, you may notice that some of the roads at Fort Riley don't seem to make sense. Again, this is because the Post was designed for horse traffic...and not for automobile traffic. Someday, perhaps, I'll feel confident to write an entire blog post about Fort Riley...it is so interesting!  

 

The Buffalo Soldier Memorial - located just outside of Trooper gate.

Exhibit 3: Memorials. You'll be hard pressed to drive too far without seeing at least a handful of (mostly horse-related) memorials and monuments. They each have a name and, you guessed it, an interesting back story of some sort. Next month my goal is to partner with a docent or a member of the Historical and Archeological Society of Fort Riley to learn more about each of these monuments and memorials. Bonus points if we could do the tour on horseback. :) !   

"Old Bill" - at last week's Change of Command Ceremony on the Parade Field.

Exhibit 4: Bombs, missiles, etc. It's not at all uncommon to see missiles and bombs along the roadways. Most units proudly display these items and sometimes I wish I could just stop the car to get out & investigate!! The photo below is of the bomb from our own "front yard"...in front of our Battalion. It has become somewhat customary for me to get a photo in front of the bomb regularly. You would not recognize me in most of the photos since the Kansas wind is quite ferocious and I usually end up looking like "Cousin It" from the Adam's Family...  

This is the "big bomb" outside our Battalion. This was taken 2 weekends ago (when the wind was unusually calm!). Notice that our grass is already starting to die - it's going to be a long, hot summer!

Exhibit 5: Unusual Signage. I must confess that this one caught me off guard the first time I saw it! Although, after thinking about it, I realize this makes perfect sense: this Post is essentially a giant classroom. Every square foot of it is useful for training and preparation. It is not uncommon to see a convoy of tan tanks or jeeps in a field completing a training exercise or drill. And nighttime is when the helicopters practice their drills and training. It is an interesting community! 

 

These are real photos of places I frequent - I hope this gives you some idea of the sights (and sometimes sounds!) I'm experiencing. Is this typical of every Army Post? In many ways I'd imagine so...but I am sure there are many differences as well. I'm definitely enjoying the flavor and uniqueness of Fort Riley!

Thank you for letting me share this with you!! :) 

A

Toast of the Army!

Isn't that cute?

It's actually the very first line of the division song for the Big Red One (or "BRO" - which commonly referred to as "America's Warfighting Center," "The Fighting First," "The Bloody First," and/or "The Big Dead One.")

Interesting fact: the Big Red One is the oldest division in the United States Army. 

At every formal ball we attend here, every Change of Command Ceremony, and any other formal function that's held at Fort Riley, we're going to be singing this song. I am trying to brush up on the lyrics...which is tough. The first few lines are fun and just kind of roll off the tongue, but then I really stall out. I'll copy the lyrics here...along with a link so you can hear the song played/sung and read a little more about the history of the song!

The Big Red One Song

Toast of the Army,

Favorite Son! Hail to the brave Big Red One!

Always the first to thirst for a fight.

No foe shall challenge our right to victory.

We take the field, A grand sight to see.

Pride of the Infantry.

Men of a great division,

Courage is our tradition,

Forward the Big Red One!

You can see that it's a very simple song...so I'm not sure why it is such a challenge for me to learn! It's kind of like an Alma Mater song...of course, I never learned any of those songs (of the 4 schools from which I matriculated) either...

More often than not, you can hear me around the house belting out "Toast of the Army, Favorite Son!" before humming the rest... :)

Our Army Household

Fact: There are things in every brand new marriage that are new and/or unexpected. 

My mister & I have been married for almost 6 months...and have lived together, in the same household, for a little more than 2 months. As we're adjusting to our new life together, there's certainly been no shortage of laughable moments! I find myself looking at my new home and can't help but feeling that I've indeed arrived on some foreign planet so I took the camera with me everywhere for 1 afternoon....and here's what I discovered...


This "stuff":

I recently took his dress uniform in for cleaning - it took about 10 minutes to remove all these items! It takes even longer to put them back on the uniform...so I don't even try. :)

These books:

War, war, war, war...

The movie collection:

Mostly war titles...100% masculine in any case..

The excessive camouflage:

Camo - hanging. It could also be laying, folded or draping. It comes in all shapes and sizes. 

It.is.everywhere.

The music:
Last week in spin class, we had an entire military-inspired themed workout: Green Berets, Love is a battlefield, War, etc... a real hoot!

The vocabulary:
Not to mention the acronyms that have now been added to my vocabulary. Partial list now includes: FRG, EOD, OCSC, PX, ACS, RLS, BN, BDE, XO, PT, S1, S3, etc etc etc...!


Amusing...indeed :)

A quick note about: deployment care packages

Some of the single greatest inspiration for blog posts come from my very own friends!

"...During the time he was in Afghanistan, our Organization sent care packages to soldiers, and our HR team sent him one...I think, 'Wow...he was going through this and all he got from us was a cheesy little care package.' If you get a chance, ask your spouse if care packages from non-family people are liked by soldiers, or if it is almost like leaving a waitress a nickel tip?"

.. so I did; I put this question to my soldier-husband and I also reached out to one of our unit's FRG Leaders to gain some insight....

It only takes a small about of maturity and graciousness for people to appreciate the thoughtful gestures of others. And soldiers are no different.

But what makes a care package truly USEFUL and most appreciated by soldiers?

Short answer: "It depends"

I should've known it wouldn't be so simple...

Location, location, location:
If the Unit is stationed at a very small base...they are really roughing it. These guys love ANYTHING you can send them - soap, nice toothbrushes, socks, and almost anything else you can think of in the personal hygiene category... They love snacks and nice coffee too.

If the Unit is stationed at a very large and more modern base (like Bagram, population 20K), they'll have access to the basics; no problem. I recently heard about an organization that chose to ship cases upon cases of hand santizer and dry shampoo to units/soldiers stationed at Bagram. While the soldiers appreciated the intention and the thoughtfulness of the gesture, the product went largely unused and even discarded. Very sad. Soldiers stationed at larger bases generally prefer People Magazines, devotionals, popular books, nice coffee, and news from "home." Many soldiers in one of our deployed units simply can't get enough of: Red Bull, hard candy, fruit rollups, cheese crackers with peanut butter, Crystal Lite water flavoring, coffee, almonds and Pringles chips.

Individual preferences:
Within any unit, there are soldiers of various nationalities and from different walks of life. One of the soldiers from our currently deployed unit is from the Philippines originally. She often makes requests for unique food items (we'd have trouble procuring those items in small-town Kansas, but no trouble finding them in the markets of larger cities). Some of the young, single soldiers have unique requests as well - the first that comes to mind is Red Bull (for when they are working an overnight security shift).

Bottom Line:
If I were a business or charitable organization wanting to send a care package, I'd look to partner with or "adopt" a specific Unit that is deploying. I'd take the time to contact that FRG (Family Readiness Group) Leader and ask him/her/them to provide feedback on specific Soldier requests. That's the best, most foolproof way to make sure that only items that are needed are sent because, if soldiers get care packages with items they don't need or won't use, they won't usually pick through them...instead, the contractors and the locals will have access to go pick through those packages. So you want to make sure that the items you send are appropriate...that way you can be sure that the care packages end up in the hands of a Soldier with a need...and not an Iraqi/Afghani contractor.

I hope this helps! I tried to speak in generalities because each location and situation is truly so different, as well as fluid/changing. If you have tips you'd like to share, or questions you'd like to ask, or a desire to support a currently deployed Unit, please message me. :)

A few more favorite photos from the 1SB Ball!

I still had these couple of photos on my camera that I wanted to share. These are actually my favorites so it's kind of funny they're only just now being added...as an after thought. ha!

My husband & me...

Photo booth photos! So fun!

 

     

We really were THIS CLOSE to the action! Here you see the Color Guard requesting permission to "retire the colors."

The Command Sargent Major, the Commanding General and the Brigade Commander discussing the cake.

Hope everyone is having a Wonderful Wednesday!

Love,

me

The Difference Between a Great Ball and a GREAT Ball

I vividly remember my first formal Ball (Marine Corps, in Fort Worth, TX) - I was so nervous! I was in Graduate School at the time and accompanied a very good friend who was also a student. We had so much fun (!), but I was wide-eyed the whole time...just absorbing it all. The soldiers, their dates, those dresses, the traditions - everything! It was also my first experience with a Reception Line...and my date & I totally dodged it. Ouch. Rookie mistake.

Then I attended my first Army formal in June, 2011. My Mister & I were dating at the time and everything was so new and exciting. I felt beautiful in my dress and hovered close by his side as he introduced me to all his friends. And then...there was the dreaded Reception Line, as confusing as ever (I'd even attempted to brush up & learn about it beforehand). My mister introduced us "Major R & my future wife Miss M," which definitely perplexed the adjutant:

"Your wife?"...

"No, my future wife."...

...and, even though we were not engaged, we made it down the entire Line introduced as "Major R & his fiancée."

AWKWARD :)

Our very first Ball together - June, 2011

This past Thursday night, we attended another formal...which was, by far, my FAVORITE. What made this Ball a standout? Maybe was because of the fabulous new venue...and/or the wonderful addition of a photo booth this year...and it also didn't hurt that we were seated at the VIP table {!!!}....

Posing with our table stand from our VIP table.

...but MOST OF ALL, aside from all those things, the thing that meant the very most to me about that night was that it felt like a night spent with FRIENDS. I didn't spend much time by my husband's side being introduced to all his buddies...I was engaged, instead, in conversation with my own friends {and actually got to introduce my husband to a few of them!}...and when we got to that Receiving Line, I knew (personally knew!) 4 of the 5 members of the Host Party.

It was deeply satisfying.

Formal Military Ball Reception Line Protocol

At every formal military Ball, the activity that signals the transition from cocktail hour to the official festivities is the infamous Reception Line (sometimes called "receiving line").

I say "infamous," mostly tongue-in-cheek, only because it is often the single-most activity - of all the evening's events - that seems to cause the most confusion and distress. And, indeed, many mistakes in protocol often occur in the reception line.

My own history with the reception line has been hit-or-miss:

• First Ball attended (Marine Corps; Fort Worth, TX) - avoided/bypassed the Line. 
• Second Ball attended (Army; Fort Riley, KS) - participated in the Line; awkward
• Third Ball attended (EOD Community/all branches of service; Fort Walton Beach, FL) - no Line
• Fourth Ball attended (Army; Fort Riley, KS) - enjoyed the Line!

So here are the nuts-and-bolts of the Reception Line - what it is...and how it works.
The purpose of the Reception Line is to transition from the unofficial social hour (usually a cocktail hour) to the formal event. This is the opportunity for all guests to formally meet the hosts/hostesses and distinguished guests of honor.

• Your invitation will specify the hour that the Reception Line will commence. Tip: though not required, it might not be a bad idea to "hover" close to where the Line will form as the hour approaches because, once the announcement is made to open the Line, it will form QUICKLY. Ideally, you'll be close to the front/first of the line - when your hosts are fresh - rather than trailing and rounding out the end of the line when your hosts have already greeted several hundred other guests and are simply "going through the motions."
• Your invitation may also provide the names of the hosts and the guest(s) of honor for the evening. Tip: you can usually find the bio of each of the Service Member hosts/hostesses and Distinguished Guests online. Take 20 minutes and look up this information!! You will learn the most interesting information about where these folks are from and where they've visited throughout their career, among other things. Don't be shy during social hour - if you see these folks, speak to them! And, you'll be armed with lots of information about them so there shouldn't be a lull in conversation. Just remember: the Reception Line is not the time/place to engage in conversation. Such pleasantries should be reserved for Social Hour.   
• You shouldn't be carrying anything as you proceed through the reception line. Ladies may keep a small purse or clutch but anything else (coats, hats, umbrellas, etc.) should either be checked into the coat check provided in the cocktail area or placed in the Ballroom at your assigned table/seat. If you have a drink leftover from social hour, you'll need to find a way to dispose of it; you should place it on one of the tables in the cocktail area or place it inside the Ballroom at your assigned table/seat. Etiquette does allow for evening gloves to be worn through the Line.
• Drinking and smoking are not allowed in the reception line. Ever. Period.
• Pay attention to how you approach the Line. As a couple joins the reception line, you'll line up side-by-side with the gentleman standing on the side near to the receiving party (hosts). Once a couple approaches the receiving line, gentlemen allow for the ladies to proceed first through the receiving line in single-file order. Ladies always proceed first through the receiving line, even if the lady is the service member.
• Introductions. The adjutant serves as the "announcer" and will be the first person in the receiving line. DO NOT SHAKE his or her hand. As a helpful reminder - this member of the Line will have his/her hands firmly clasped together behind the back. The service member should make the introduction - introducing the guest/spouse and then self using last names only. For example, "Mrs. Smith, Sergeant Smith" or "Miss Nelson, Lieutenant Jones." The adjutant will then announce your name (or names, if a couple) to the host/hostess nearest...and each member of the Host Party will introduce you to the next host/hostess standing to their right....and on down the line you go!
• When shaking hands, a short but polite greeting is necessary. For example, "Good evening, it is a pleasure to meet you." Please reserve conversation for another time...the line must keep moving. 
• Everyone is required to go through the receiving line. Avoiding or bypassing the Line is considered "discourteous action." (Color Guard is the only exception.)

And there you have it!

With a little preparation beforehand and a little practice, you'll surely sparkle and shine as your rock the Reception Line with a genuine, relaxed and confident smile.

Easy, right? :)

Laundry

Whether by design, or by completely innocent coincidence, my husband has learned the hard way...that Velcro...on his uniform...is simply not compatible with my "delicates."

This is just one of many, many pieces of Velcro on the uniform he wears daily!

He has now been banned from doing our laundry...

:)