Saving Abel and Armed Forces Day

In honor of ARMED FORCES DAY, and all those who fight for our freedoms- I honor all those military members who stand for us. I also shout out to Jared Weeks, Jason Null, Skid Mills and Martin Frederiksen of Saving Abel  for letting us hear the other side - 

Check them singing it for the troops- MIss America





                                       "Miss America"

Hello mother, it's been long,
I'm still here fighting, be proud of your son,
My friends are dying, and I just wanna come home.

The stars are under a different sky,
Your prayers must be working 'cause I'm still alive,
This place is so cold and I just wanna come home.

I'm fighting, I'm bleeding,
I know what's coming but I'm still breathing,
Not giving up, not losing love,
Not running away, I'm not afraid,
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, where does the freedom begin?

Hey there love, how have the kids been,
Wish I could be there to tuck them in,
But freedom is calling while your tears are falling.

I've seen lives broke in two,
Through these eyes: red, white and blue,
I know why I'm here, still, I just wanna go home.

I'm fighting, I'm bleeding,
I know what's coming but I'm still breathing,
Not giving up, not losing love,

Not running away, I'm not afraid,
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, where does the freedom begin.?

My hair stands on it's end,
Chilling thoughts as I defend,
Running for cover, take cover my brother,
To die another day as that banner yet waves.

Hey there son, it's your time to go,
I'm so proud, more than you'll know,
But freedom ain't free and now you're just like me.

I'm fighting, I'm bleeding,
I know what's coming but I'm still breathing,
Not giving up, not losing love,
Not running away, I'm not afraid.
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, where does the freedom begin?

Where does the freedom begin?
I miss America, my miss America,
When does the fighting end, wheres does the freedom begin?

A dual blogger!

So- after some conversations with my closest advisors- I have decided to start a new blog- articles abut dating after 50 and the trials and tribulations that go along with- Its called 'I shaved my legs for this?' and I hope it will bring laughs - and it isn't about any specific person, but more about experiences........ so stay tuned for the ride..........


You can find the new blog here- I shaved my legs for this?

I need opinions

So- after a much needed nap after 18 holes of golf and 13 hours at work and a messed up sleep day- I had this brainstorm- well brain shower if you will. The Fern Blogs is really written about sensitive parts of my life- parents, friends, things that touch my heart.

My revelation was actually a blog about dating and social life  in your 50's- if you are single and 50. - Its hard- Not everything will be about my life personally- but rather humorous tidbits from friends and followers about dating and relationships as we get older- because as I remember- we were supposed to mate for life-  Its not reality, but I think I could make the trials and tribulations appear fun or different-

So what do you all think? Leave a comment below-

If everyone cared- If ANYONE cared.....

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky

Confusing stars for satellites

I never dreamed that you'd be mine

But here we are, we're here tonight



Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive




If everyone cared and nobody cried

If everyone loved and nobody lied

If everyone shared and swallowed their pride

Then we'd see the day when nobody died



And I'm singing



Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive



And in the air the fireflies

Our only light in paradise

We'll show the world they were wrong

And teach them all to sing along



Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

(I'm alive)


And as we lie beneath the stars

We realize how small we are

If they could love like you and me

Imagine what the world could be



If everyone cared and nobody cried

If everyone loved and nobody lied

If everyone shared and swallowed their pride

Then we'd see the day when nobody died

When nobody died...






We'd see the day, we'd see the day

When nobody died

We'd see the day, we'd see the day

When nobody died

We'd see the day when nobody died

It has been 5 whole years!

I can’t believe it has been 5 years. It really seems like more of a lifetime. With all the ups and downs, tears and smiles, phone calls and texts, I can’t believe it is been 5 years since Teri Worley came into my life. It was a fluke really- Myspace was the big thing- and I was looking for people with one thing in common, a love for riding. Teri showed up in a search, and we soon became long distance buddies thru the social media site.

Not long after, Facebook was the way to go, and we both made the change. What started out as a casual friendship quickly became more. While it is roughly 2900 miles door to door, she really seemed closer. We shared trials and tribulations of family, the birth and medical adventure of Anna Grace, the ups and downs of my very dysfunctional relationship with Mark, celebrations of birthdays and graduations and talks about private torments.

I never really realized how close 2900 miles was until I was in bed with a major abdominal surgery. I was stuck in a bedroom, like a maiden in the tower- After several weeks , I was going crazy- I felt alone, depressed and was going stir crazy- and Teri read something I wrote and called. That conversation did more for my spirits and emotions than she will probably ever know.

It took a few years, but we finally got to meet in Oregon, and she was everything and more I had come to know. Bonus was the family- Jeff – who let me ride his Harley, Cole, Karli, and Michelle, Joshua, Michael, Nikki, Jeremiah, the grandkids, the corgi- It was like Instant family- just add water, and I never felt so accepted-

We may not talk every day, but we always know we are there for each other, whether it be for a shoulder to cry on, someone to vent with or just catch up on girl talk.

So here is to my good friend Teri- when you go out for your anniversary dinner- have and Tanq 10 for all the years you have been an awesome friend to me-

I am spending tomorrow with a hero

Our nation has been built by heroes. I have 2 heroes in the USAF who stand up everyday for those who cannot- tomorrow I will ride for one who lost his life defending this country- many years ago, in the Korean War and is just now coming home. It is an honor and a privilege to escort him.

Ernest Grainger enlisted in the US Army at the age of 18, during the very end of WWII, just days after the Germans surrendered in May of 1945. He did his basic training at Ft. Jackson then went on to Ft Benning, Ga for jump school then joined Company C of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He soon joined the ranks of Company K, 3rd battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.

The date was July 11th 1950, America’s first days of the Korean War. During the bloody battle of Chochiwon, after only 3 days in Korea, Sgt Ernest Grainger’s unit found themselves again under heavy enemy attack, as they fought insurmountable odds against them. Overpowered, out manned, taking extreme casualties during the chaos known as war, Sgt, Ernest Grainger was never heard from again. For years his family held on to the hope that he was one of the 230 captured & being held as a POW.

Flash forward to July of last year, as Korean officials were excavating some recently found grave sites of some of their soldiers, when they discovered the remains of two soldiers in US Army uniforms with several US military artifacts. Not until January of this year were those remains positively identified. It was finally confirmed what his family eventually grew to accept, that Sgt. Ernest Grainger was Killed in Action on that day, 63 years ago.

Sgt. Ernest Grainger was laid to rest on the battlefield where he fell on foreign soil over a half a century ago, but thankfully that is not his final resting place. The PGR & Rolling Thunder have been invited by the family to be there when he finally comes back to the country that he fought so gallantly for and gave his life in defense of so many years ago.

Welcome Home MSgt Ernest Grainger and Thank You for Your Sacrifice.

Baggage free.......

Happy

My heart is happy. A very special family member put a smile on my heart-

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme Continues... Part Six

121. Have you ever lost someone without having the chance to say goodbye? That would be a yea- my mom died while I was at school.

122. How do you feel about women in politics? I feel the BEST candidate should be in politics, despite gender.

123. Would you rather have an indoor Jacuzzi or an outdoor pool?  Oh, thats tough, can't I have both????

124. What things are you interested in that you study or read about regularly? critical care medicine

125. Would you consider yourself to be intelligent? Yes I do

126. Would you consider yourself to be wise? I think I get wiser with age- 

127. Have you ever given or received a lap dance? That would be a no

128. Have you ever spoken to a homeless person? Yes I have

129. Would you ever creep into the subway tunnels to go exploring? No, I see no reason to go into a subway tunnel- 

130. If you could add 70 years to your life but only by making some random person die 70 years sooner would you?  absolutely not

131. Can you identify any of the following lyrics? 

A: Nothing to kill or die for... Imagine by John Lennon

B: Late comings with the late comin' stretcher... 911 is a joke by Public Enemy

C: I could make a film and make you my star...Drawing a blank

132. Are you worried about North Korea?  I am worried about our whole world- not just one country

133. Would you rather be a world political leader or a talk-show host?  Probably a talk show host, the power of the spoken word is strong.

134. Have you ever given someone a love letter that you wrote?  Yes, many years ago-

135. Have you ever sent someone a surprise though the mail? All the time- 

136. Are you looking forward to any dates right now? Vacation perhaps? I am looking forward to my baby son coming home for a week- 10 days and counting

137. Of all animated movies, which is the best one you've ever seen?  I dont watch animated movies

138. What are the best bands or songs to listen to while driving?  depends on the mood my friend, depends on the mood

139. What do you think is the most amazing thing that anyone has ever accomplished? oh, i would need hours to write on that,

140. What could a member of the opposite sex do to impress you?   Be kind, polite, make me laugh,treat me well, be honest, prolly best not to get me started- 

The Cooper River Run- (Translate- I an a CRAZY woman!)

9:00 pm Friday night- I am in the bed- after 4 nights at work, I needed some rest before running 6.2 miles the next day.

12:51 am - HELLO! Wide awake and I have to be up in 4 hours and 9 minutes. Did I mention the tub thumping headache or the inability to go back to sleep. 3 Aleve and a glass of milk later I prayed for sleep. 

5:02 am - My prayers must have been heard, because I woke up to my alarm and jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I had to ask myself WHY in hell was I at 51 years old wanting to run a 10k? My inner Kenyan screamed at me because I could-  Now I started to panic- To catch the shuttle to the start line you HAD to be in line by 6. I hurried to take the dogs out and leave a check for the dog walker. As I opened the door all I could think was SWEET BABY JESUS, when did I move to the freaking north pole? A quick check of the weather channel showed it was a balmy 43 degrees in Charleston. I quickly donned a hoodie and some sweat pants and hopes that the sweat shuttle was truly available. I can’t run in pants, nor do I like running in a sweat top. 

5:30 am- Phone, check, keys, check, ear buds check, id and money, check, bib and pins- check- I was ready (or was I ?)

5:38 am- In ‘Blanca’ the smart car headed to Mt. Pleasant Towne Center to catch the shuttle to the start line. I found princess parking (Yea!- little victory), and got in line. It was quite funny- a CRBR volunteer is on a bullhorn-  “PEOPLE- YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIB TO GET ON THE BUS!!! Really? and what, you are expecting random people to just show up at 6 am and want to ride the bus for 1.5 miles? OK......whatever

6:20 am- I am dropped off on a dark street corner with busloads of others, I followed along like a duckling towards the start line.( Can I interject at this point that I have NEVA EVA seen so many port a potties. Hundreds- maybe thousands......of little green outhouses- all lined up in neat little rows.) I followed along and started noticing the signs  along the way- signs denoting which corral was where. I was in Corral ‘E’ the first one for the hour or better runners. I had quite a way to go and this is where I figured out that the CRBR peeps had a method to their madness- the hike in and the cold temps were to help us warm up for the run to Charleston. 

6:45 am- I found the sweat shuttle although I must say I wondered if I would ever see my sweats again. Several people looked shady and I thought they may be Goodwill or Salvation Army in disguise trying to get some upscale donations.( A very kind gentleman calmed my fears telling me that no, my clothes would not go to a donation bin, but would rather arrive at the Embassy Suites for pick up) As the sun came up, I began to shed my sweats. (I must say my  wonderful pink argyle compression socks did great things for warmth. It wasn’t until I lost my hoodie that I realized it was still chilly- but I needed to acclimate- it was gonna be a long morning. I headed to Corral ‘E’ and staked a place for my ‘start’. The sun was coming up and warming me up slowly.

I was kinda bummed coz I was running solo- no friends or fam to run with me- but within a few minutes, people around me were striking up conversations- ‘I love your shirt’, or ‘how do you like your shoes’ and the often heard ‘Are you local?’ - Amazingly I learned more out of towners run this race than do locals-  I met some nice peeps from Mt. Juliet, Tn as well as Detroit and Atlanta-

8:00 am- The time had passed quickly and it was time for the start- in waves. We heard the Kenyans take off, and slowly we would walk closer to the start.

Again I wondered what possessed me to do this and my inner voice said because I could. Shortly we were off and running. Not really knowing how well I would do I thought about pacing myself, and then I said- Hey stupid- pick a nice pace- enjoy the route and the people along it and just do your best. Quickly I was running down Coleman Blvd. , I passed Shem Creek and Patriots Point, and then I was on the bridge! I had passed the first mile and was coming up on the second- and I hadn’t bothered to pace myself- I was just enjoting the run. I must say the uphill portion of the bridge was a bit taxing, but I just put myself into a lower gear and pushed on. It was amazing how many of my 39,999 close personal running mates took time to tell me they loved my shirt! The sentiment read ‘Dear God, Please let there be SOMEONE behind me to read this. It was a great shirt I found at the Bridge run expo from one more mile. (They have some AWESOME stuff!)

I saw people in full regalia for the run- one guy dressed up as Gene Simmons, the IRMO, SC fireman in full turnout gear running, a platoon from The Citadel running to cadence, people in tutus, and even a girl in a wedding dress- I had passed the 2nd mile and was almost to the 3rd mile flag- DAMN! I am almost halfway!

In my ears, I could hear cheers thru my Nike app that was connected to facebook- Everytime someone ‘liked’ my run or commented, I heard cheers, and it did a lot for my spirit to know my friends took the time to cheer me on. Coming off the bridge on Meeting St., I was so excited to see the 4th mile marker- this was the farthest I had run in a race- 5K had been my only experience so far, but I was doing it, I was really doing it! Rounding the corner after the 5th mile flag it was beginning to take a toll...I would run, then walk, then run again- but I was tired. Down King St. we ran, with shopkeepers outside to cheer us on and hand out cups of water. I kept an eye on my Nike run app- I was getting excited- 5.9 miles with solid 12 minute miles- My goal had been 1 hour 15 minutes- but I told myself in reality, anything BETTER than 1 hour 30 would be bonus. Turning the corner to see the finish line was an emotional moment- I had done it! I had run from Mount Pleasant to Charleston all under my own power , and it was about to be recorded for history. Going under the finish line, I could feel tears stinging my eyes and rolling down my cheeks- they were tears of joy, happiness and accomplishment.

9:45 am- The after festivities were in full swing- water and fruit from Bi lo (Thanks Bi Lo!), tents set up for free goodies- I was spent tho- I tried to figure out where my sweats were. On the way I found the Johnsonville Brat grill- OMG- that was the BEST freaking brat I had ever had! And the size of the grill- damn!

Quite by accident I found the sweat shuttle and retrieved my belongings- (yeah- they did not go to Goodwill after all!) and then made my way to the bus going back to Towne Center. Sitting down never felt so good! The bridge was still closed, so we had to take the long way home down 526- and all of a sudden, we were back where we started. 

10:30 am- I am on my way home- I need a shower, some aleve and to do my private happy dance. I did it- I am woman see me run! 

I must give a shout out to Mount Pleasant Police and Fire, Charleston EMS, Charleston Police and Charleston Fire as well as the CRBR volunteers, organizers and Durham Bus Service- What a flawless event! Thanks Charleston!