Highlights from this week

What a very busy week it's been so far! I haven't had a chance to write since Monday!

Instead of making this a general "what I did" list, how 'bout I just let you know some of the interesting and "must see/do" places around Fort Riley?  


If you are visiting Fort Riley and have the opportunity to drive by the Main Parade Field in the historic part of the Post, there's a very well-planned monument to those killed in Iraq & Afghanistan you will want to see. 

Tuesday was a comprehensive "Moment of Silence" Day to remember the events of 9/11/01. There was a ceremony on Post here at Fort Riley to honor those who have lost their lives as a result of the (ongoing) conflict since 9/11. This week, several more names were added...and one of those names belongs to a soldier of ours who died in May in Afghanistan (I wrote about this HERE and HERE).

Soldiers, Family members and friends of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley gathered Sept. 11 at the post's Global War on Terrorism Monument in front of the U.S. Cavalry Museum for a Patriot Day Commemoration Ceremony. The names of eight Big Red One Soldiers who have died since Sept. 11, 2011, were read during the ceremony. The names of 204 Soldiers who mobilized and deployed through Fort Riley and made the ultimate sacrifice in support of the Global War on Terrorism are now listed on the monument.
- Fort Riley Public Affairs Office (PAO)

Close up of the monument (Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

Ceremonial Wreath (Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

(Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

(Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

Commanding Generals Mounted Color Guard (Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

(Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

(Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

(Photo Credit: Fort Riley PAO)

 

This, and the photos that follow are pictures I took.

Twin Towers

A beautiful tribute to the Fallen

A close-up of 2012 (and our Soldier's name)

Quarters 1 is the name of the most revered home on Fort Riley - it is the home of the Commanding General of Fort Riley (and has been continuously occupied since 1888). 

History of Quarters 1: 
Quarters Number 1 was built in 1887 as the home of the Fort Riley’s commanding officer.  The single family home was constructed at a cost of almost $9,500.  The quarters consist of approximately 8,000 square feet. The first occupant was Colonel (later Major General) James Forsyth.  The third-floor balcony gave him a clear view of his troops drilling on the Cavalry Parade Field. A staircase in the hall is yellow pine detailed with rosewood panels and cherry balusters.  This is the private residence of the current commanding general.  Original features of the commander’s home included a library, sleeping porches, servants’ rooms and a third-floor ballroom. Names of all the occupants of Quarters 1 are listed on a plaque inside.  It includes former Chief of Staff of the Army, General Gordon Sullivan and Major General Thomas Rhame who commanded the 1st Infantry Division during the Gulf War in 1990-91.

This week I spent plenty of time at Quarters 1 - it was fantastic. The Fort Riley spouses' club (I am a member of the Board) hosted a Newcomers Welcome event and our General's wife was kind enough to open her beautiful historic home for the occasion. The ambiance just can not be described! It was a wonderful evening of white linens, crystal chandeliers, candlelight and music as we mingled with the newest arrivals to Fort Riley. Being a new arrival myself (5 months!), I felt a little unqualified to do the "welcoming" but the reality is that 5 months, in Army time, is forever. :)

The beautiful spread!

Remarks from the President of our Club.

If you'd like to see and learn more about Quarters 1, including photos of the home and of our current Commanding General's wife (and her contributions and influence on the show Army Wives), please see this writeup on the Fort Riley website.


It's been a busy week on Post...thankfully, these next few days I can focus on tending the home fires. There's plenty that has been left undone while I've been on the go this week!

Luck, Skill & Timing {Part 3}

Last week, I decided to examine "luck, skill & timing" as a path to success and significance in life.
Which brings us to the final element of this adventure: TIMING.

Ready to finish this? :)

Timing is much like "luck/chance" - remembering that chance is something that happens, though rarely as a result of your own effort -  there is a right and proper time for everything in our life a time that, I believe, is appointed. A time that cannot be rushed. A time that cannot be slowed. 

Did you know that timing is actually discussed in the Bible? 

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
New International Version (NIV)

I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

Habakkuk 2:3
King James Bible (2000)

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: 
though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.
 
Is anyone else picking up on a common theme here? :)

Taking a lesson from nature, it's difficult to deny the phenomenon of appointed/pre determined time - it is evident all around us:

• As we prepare to welcome Fall, in all it's crispy, leafy, pumpkin-y, and cardigan-y goodness there's no doubt that this is a time for certain things to shine...it is a time when certain crops are at their best and are ready for harvest. It is also a time for other things to slow and to shut down as trees begin to lose their leaves. Weather cools. Days shorten. Harvests happen.
• When a couple conceives, it is fairly certain (with minimal exception) that a child will be delivered in roughly 9 months' time. 
• Springtime brings with it new blooms, new insects and the births of many different types of animals.
• Age 15-16 is the time when adolescents in America begin to receive a driver's license.
• November (every 4 years) is the appointed time for Americans to choose their elected officials.   

So why is all this important?

It's important to understand that there is a right and proper time for everything and that, all throughout life, you will invariably find yourself in one of two major "seasons":

The seasons of prosper, fulfillment and plenty.

The seasons of wanting, waiting and yearning. 

What's important to remember in the season of prosperity, fulfillment & plenty is that it is a season to be enjoyed, savored and remembered. It will not last forever; if you've ever heard of the saying, "This too shall pass," you know that this applies to all things (and not just those awful times you wish would not linger). It is a time to give thanks for all you have and love.

When you find yourself in the "Fall" season; the season of wanting, waiting and yearning, you can take comfort in knowing that it, too, can not last forever. Your "Spring" can be just around the corner! The difficult seasons can be a wonderful time for planning and for preparation (see SKILL). It is a time best spent in service to others (simply so you won't become discouraged during your own time of difficulty or challenge) and can be a great time for self reflection. It is a time for diligence - are you watching for opportunity? Are you preparing for your future successes?  

Your time to shine is coming....

Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it.  Elbert Hubbard

Tis the Season!

Good morning!
Taking a wee short beak from the "Luck, Skill & Timing" Series to show you something that I'm really excited about (& equally proud of).

It's our Battalion's 2012 Christmas Ornament!!! A few of key things you'll notice:
1. It incorporates elements of EACH of the companies (both on site & those located in geographical areas outside of Kansas) which makes it a much more inclusive & meaningful ornament.
2. There's no year/date. We have a minimum order quantity so we wanted our ornament to be relevant in years beyond 2012 in case there weren't enough preorders for them (which I don't think will be the case).
3. It says "Merry Christmas." Enough said. I'm so thankful for our Leadership's support on this.

Preorders just kicked off and, within the very first 2 days, we're already at 50 ornaments ordered! I might need to call our vendor next week & increase our order quantity!

So excited. I'm very proud of this project. Thanks for letting me share:)

Luck, Skill & Timing {Part 2}

Yesterday I mentioned that everyone seems to be yearning for success and significance in life: significant other, significant job opportunity, and fulfillment..

And I shared a cute saying that my Dad used to tell me when I was younger: that success in life was dependent upon 3 things: Luck, Skill & Timing.

Today, in {Part 2}, let's examine SKILL! 

SKILL
Skill is often thought of as natural ability...however, whenever I think of skill, I imagine that it is the hard work, the persistence, and the perseverance that sets the right conditions for when "chance" comes along. You can say that you are "setting the conditions" for when "chance" happens. Skill is the long, hard hours of work, practice, etc. The efforts to become plugged in to your community or to social groups. The continual reaching out to current & prospective clients. The dogged determination to write when the words don't readily come. If it takes 10,000 hours of work to become an expert in something...ask yourself, "What am I on track to become expert in?" If it's kindness and charity, that's great! If you're majoring in "TV," that's less great. :) If you're single, are you staying in your small apartment watching TV and eating fast food? Might it make more sense if you change your mindset and at least entertain the possibility of becoming more involved in groups within your community that might facilitate an introduction to other charitable-minded singles?

Skill can also mean the effort required to seize the moment (or chance) and act upon what has been gifted to you. What happens if you are presented with an amazing opportunity and you let it pass you by without grabbing hold of it? History is littered with stories of those lamenting missed opportunity. Skill is also an essential requirement when failure occurs and you need to get back up and try again.

In summary, skill is the expended effort to step out of your comfort zone and try new things...or to try old things, but in a new way. Skill is the ingredient that keeps you from staying on the ground when you try something that fails. 

I have not failed 1,000 times.  I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb. Thomas Edison

Success is dependent on effort.  Sophocles 

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. Walt Disney

You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.  Les Brown

The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.  Joe Girard

Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential. Winston Churchill

Action is the foundational key to all success. Pablo Picasso

Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones. Theodore Roosevelt


Let's talk about TIMING in {Part 3}, shall we? :)

Luck, Skill & Timing {Part 1}

It seems like everyone these days is yearning for something significant to happen: waiting for "Mr. Right" to come along, looking for a new or a better job opportunity, searching for fulfillment, aching for your "big break;" that moment when your business plan and hard work finally take hold and take off.

A couple of things I try to remind myself when I'm in those moments "in the waiting.":

My Dad always used to tell me that success in life was dependent upon 3 things: Luck, Skill & Timing.
 
CHANCE
Now, being people of Faith, we don't necessarily subscribe to the notion of mere coincidence or that things just happen for a few select movers & shakers. For the purposes of this discussion, let's frame "luck" and "unmerited favor or opportunity."  Luck/chance is something that you and I can not willfully or skillfully manipulate or control. It is something, rather, that I imagine happening on my behalf. And, since we have no control over the matter, it is best that we not get too "worked up" when waiting on chance to occur.

Did you know that luck/chance is actually discussed in the Bible? 

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
New International Version (NIV)

I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

According to this timeless text, we ALL (each of us, none are excluded) are recipients of unmerited favor or opportunity. This may happen once - as in a "once in a lifetime opportunity" - or several times - as in "I just got a 'second bite at that apple.'"

In practical terms, this could be the "chance" encounter with your future mate, it could be that "lucky break" when a publisher accepts your manuscript, when you land that big job you didn't think you met 100% of the qualifications, the chance to intern for a high profile person in a well respected industry or profession. It could simply mean that someone, somewhere along the way, presented to you an unexpected and exciting rare opportunity that made your heart race. You know that feeling. That's the feeling of receiving unmerited favor or opportunity. And you are thankful.

The best advice I can give when it comes to chance is to always be watching for it, to not stress if/when it doesn't happen when you want/expect it, and to be very, very thankful when it does occur. 

Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.  Oscar Wilde

The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity. Ayn Rand


{Part 2} of Luck, Skill & Timing coming soon...

Happy Anniversary to my folks!

Yesterday was my Mom & Dad's 46th anniversary - I am so happy for them! It's an easy date to remember - it's the month of Mom's birthday (Sept) and the day of my Dad's birthday (3rd)...and, yet, this date always seems to sneak up on me every year!

Mom & Dad showing that humor is one of the secrets to a happy marriage:) (or maybe it's Zoltar that's the secret...?)

 Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad - I love you!

Visit to KC

Kansas City is just a stone's throw from where we live (about a 2 - 2 1/2 hour drive) in Manhattan, so it's a pretty easy drive. And I love Kansas City!! We decided that we'd leave Manhattan early yesterday morning and pop over for a Royals Game...and, since tickets were 1/2 price for military, we'd be sure to have a good time for less!

On our drive over, the husband & I had the worst argument we've had since we've known each other (Whew, glad that's out of the way!) about....wait for it....driving directions. It was awesome. And, apparently I70 is our family's kryptonite. ;)

We got to the stadium about an hour before the game started so we had plenty of time to park, get tickets, stock up on wonderful stadium food for lunch and get settled. We were instructed (via a homemade printed sign on the tickets window) that, to receive military discounted tickets, we'd need to check in at another gate. We stood and looked around for a bit before we headed off around the side of the stadium. My wonderful husband, having just learned an important lesson already (see paragraph above) decided to stop and ask a couple of gate agents for...directions. :) It was then that I walked over to catch part of the conversation...and it was then that the gate agent pulled a couple of tickets out of his pocket and gave them to us free of charge! I was stunned and we shook his hand before we scurried off, feeling completely euphoric about our free tickets - and they were FANTASTICALLY located. Great view & plenty of shade.

Great day & great view - one of the nicest stadiums I've ever seen.

What a great day!

Oh, and the Royals won too!

:)