A New Life!

So much has happened in my life since I last posted. I have found the most amazing man through God and prayers and on October 15th we were married. I have moved to VA and am now setting up our home. We had a beautiful wedding in Chantilly VA at the Westfields Marriott, poolside terrace on a gorgeous Autumn day! A weekend getaway to DC and our honeymoon is coming up in December Christmas week we will spend in the greater Orlando FL area. I also flew to Dallas twice in 3 weeks, at the beginning of October for my second doctoral residency, then a half of a week in Waco TX with my daughter Jenni (first I'd seen her in nearly 2 years!)  and again the last week for Mark's father's 90th birthday!  Flew home to VA, drove to NY in a snowstorm and moved during it.... Nearly all unpacked and back in the throes of college, job hunting and being a wife. We attend a lovley church in Tysons VA, The McLean Bible church and are in the process of becoming stewards for couples counseling. Mark and I are so blessed!

I have written so much poetry including the wedding vows and a poem to Mark. I received notification that a poem I recently wrote has been selected for publication soon... Today though I will share the poem I wrote yesterday for Veterans Day honoring Mark, retired Major, Army, my son, Joey Lce Cpl Marine, and all my other family members as well as all those who served, serve now or will serve.


       A Soldier Mother's Prayer

They came, the young bold and strong and the old...
Weary, but No matter what, they did as told.
Their lives for all of us were sacrificed
Some served once, some twice or thrice -
Mighty - they fought, so we might live free;
Hard ,they fell protecting our sacred liberty.
Prayers are said today for those who rest
Among the heroes fallen and others test
The nerve and endurance 24/7 all year
Never resting from the bombs they hear...
How gracious are you my friends today -
For the lives of our soldiers - men, women, so brave?
Have you thanked them all for what they have done?
Will you rest tonight knowing for some 'tis just begun?
I pray for world peace and for our country's forces
To all return home, eliminate the obstacles and courses!
Unite with me in a solemn silent moment of prayer -
And stand up with our armed forces for liberty if you dare!
God send them home soon, safe and sound, unspoiled
Relieve them from the bloodshed and works of toil.
Wrap your arms around each single soldier and save
All from the pits of the Hell they see, your love gave
Us redemption and forgiveness of all our worldly sins,
Might this prayer too cleanse our soldiers and forgiven
Be as they return home (some) others rest eternally
On unknown battlefields of past and yet to be -
I pray a prayer of world peace dear God, let it end -
So that a life renewed in Christian Love might then begin!

Poems My Way Valrie 11/11/11

My pink for the day is the powder room on the first floor of our new home. Mark is very agreeable to my pinks, provided he has his fun too... I found little army action figures poking out from amongst the florals in this room... just too cute and funny!

Here is a looksie at the new PINK powder room. I have thrifted and upcycled all of the decorations here; it has a cherry blossom and pink floral theme! While in DC on the weekend getaway I found this amazing cherry blossom potpourri which smells Heavenly and cherry blossom tea that is absolutely delicious!

May all of you be blessed and as we enter the holiday season this year, let's all give our thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestwoed upon us and pray for those in need.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Link up to other PINKS with Bev at How Sweet The Sound.

Sending you my Pink Bear Hug for a Happy Pink Saturday!

 A little time today to hunt and surf the web, then write those papers....

Please leave a comment!

Have a blessed day!

Mark and I thank you all for your well wishes!

STAY TUNED.... next week I will be psoting pictures of my holiday giveaway!

A tribute from me a mother, sister, daughter,educator, and friend; supporter of Peace, Justice and Liberty!

 Today I helped my church by making three floral arrrangements and baking up a storm of delectable sweets and treats for the memorial service and coffee hour. Here are a few pics to share with you.

 A white confetti cake with almond buttercream frostening... chocloate cupcakes and strawberry cupcakes, nearly 6 dozen were eaten in addition to the cake... yummy!

                                                     Forever America Remembers  9 - 11

 A solemn day filled with prayers and memories, well spent time with my new friends at church.

I did the remembrance walk and attended the town ceremonies. Ou town  fire department received an artifact from the Trade Towers, not sure how I feel about that, but it was nice jus the same. Several politicians attended and spoke at the local memorial service as well as walked in the memorial walk... While in process all the firefighters of three towns were called into action for a fire.. doing what all first responders do... please pause and say a prayer for all those whose lives were touched
by 911.

I cherish my family and children and am blessed to be their mother, daughter, or sister.

                                                                My first born Jenni...

                                           Jenni and her brother Joey  USMC (Lance Cpl Hranek)

 Jenni and her loving boyfriend retired Army...

 Lance CPl Joseph Hranek on the night deployed July 2010 to Afghanistan...

                                            The going awy party for our GI Joe...y!

 Oops can't delete this for some reason, another look at Lance Cpl Hranek...

 In the midst of war and terror, a brief moment of laughtrer, Joey found a hedgehog which quickly became a temporary pet and mascot....

 Prayers to all on this solemn day, may we move forward and feel God's love.

 As the sun sets today, pause and bask in teh glory of God's world, and know that He is with us...

                                                              Make it a powerful day!

911 A Day of Solace and Remembrance

                   Land of the Brave, Land of The Free, In God We Trust To Eternity!

               911 A Memorial Post and Tribute to Our Heroes, Victims,  & Loved Ones

On this  day more than any,  I reflect, weep, pray, and weep some more over the senseless loss of lives from 9/11/01.

Did you know.....many people jumped hand in hand instead of being engulfed in flames? Did you now others were thrown from the windows by mere force of explosions?  Can you believe Mayor Bloomberg excluded first responders such as firefighters from today's ceremonies?

I remember vividly this day in history. I taught at Montgomery Village Middle School, on relocation site at Tilden Lane, MD, minutes from The Pentagon. A day of terrorists attacks on the sanctity of innocent lives. We amassed to protect our children, the school in total locked down. The sky outside blackened not only from the smoke of the assault on our Pentagon, yet too filled with air responders, vipers, helicopters, it became more famous of a day than the Ride of Paul Revere, for truly this attack resonated the world over.

Please join me in solemn prayer and remember those whose lives were lost that day and others whose lives would be changed forever...



A serene tribute to these brave souls may they all rest in peace...

Twin Towers Jumpers, World Trade Center, WTC Sad Tragedy - Watch the top videos of the week here

These people were not suicide victims THEY WERE VICTIMS, period, and in knowing they were going to die, they chose HOW to die. I do not see them as any less than human heroes who dealt with the tragedy they were thrown into by terrorists. Ten years later has anything changed? YES we harden our hearts and stand braver and taller as a country defying the odds YET still allowing these terrorists to have their dominion over us. STAND up AMERICANS, STAND UP for what we ARE and do NOT allow terrorists to take hold of our lives! Our soldiers, our firefighter, police, first responders, all HEROES, all unified as one. Rescuing some and never giving up hope that others would be found. This is my tribute to our Fallen and living heroes. I weep in knowing friends and family members were lost this day and some never  being able to or saying good-bye.

                Our Heroes 9/11 Remembered...

In sorrow we stood by and watched the towers fall,
Who knew that as they fell so did many Americans?
How would you have coped, plummet to death
Or burn in the flames of the suicide air plane bombers?

On the shore of disaster our tears flooded the parameters
But were not enough to squelch the erupting flames of terror
As they spread among the twins, engulfing destroying all...
One by one and side by side both humans and towers fell.

The heartbeat of America fallen, the culprits claiming victory
In falsehood for as a nation the moral fiber of our heroes
Shined through the Hell created on earth by terrorists
I only pray that the wrath of God burns eternally for them -

As the towers emploded, so did bodies trapped by flames
Or crushed as they bravely dove out windows, some blasted
Out by the force of flames and eruptions claiming their lives,
Hand in hand many joined and together faced  their reality of death.

Innocent victims of such repulsive terrorism aimed only to insult
Degrade and demoralize our men and women and yes our children.
Yet Americans were not  the only injured or deceased, but still
Who came to us in our time of need in numbers other than Americans?

We are such a proud country YET still young, our birth so new
Compared to those of The Holy Wars, centuries of hate and anger
Aroused in them the audacity to strike the land of Liberty, the land of the free
How dare they, because they could and who enabled them, not us?

Ah but were you to truly know the hidden truths, I dare to say
Our government would change, yor anger unfold on them,
Not just the terrorists but the follies of politicians misled
By trust they placed, and bargains made, alas the price was paid.

A cleansing of this wave of terrorism yet awaits the world -
The wrath of God one day soon will unfold and lile our flag
Unfurled with  a gust of pride and woes so strong that not
Even the shot heard around the world of colonial time

Will compare to the rage and rampage once unleashed by God
Upon His earth, will the rapture come to Thee and cleanse
The slime and unserving souls, casting them in the pits of Hell,
It will come, not IF my friend, yes indeed BUT when?

In solemn wait time fall upon your knees and ask for Grace,
Keep your fith and renew it every day,  hold fast to Hope,
Place your efforts on rebulding the values upon which we were built
Rebuild The Towers, refuse the sacred burial ground to a foreign temple be -

Amass my friends in numbers and turn your face to God, time is near,
It is upon us, and the toils of the earth shall soon fade, will you?
Are you able to turn to God and plead for mercy, renew your
Vows of dedication, commit to a world without sin and begin?

Begin to build a world without terror, a world with ONE God,
Put back in print the oaths that minorities deplete, omit and negate.
You cannot negate what IS and God IS in control, the one true
Deity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit forever and EVER AMEN!

Poems My Way - Valrie 09/08/2011

My son ia a Marine Lance Corporal, and just this past February returned home safe in body from serving 7 months abroad in Afghanistan. Those 7 months were Hell on earth for me and my family as we rarely heard from him. The senseless war on terrorism continues to claim  the lives of so many innocents.  Each time the phone rang in the wee hours of the morning I trembled fearful to answer it. Joey came home in one piece and has talked very little about those 7 months except to say it was 24/7 fight for your life, act, not think and having seen and done things he never thought he would have to do and all because of a war on terrorists and lithium for batteries.

 The night Joey was deployed to North Marja Afghanistan, now serving at Camp Leguene, NC. May his last year of service keep him on the homeland and safe.

Please honor all the brave men and women who served are serving and the loved ones and their families. I have many friends who were there at ground zero, my dear friend Leno, an EMT first responder who relates the horror and the reality of this event that affected not only the USA but also the entire world.

Stand Up! Stand up for freedom and liberty and let the bell of freedom resonate forever in the ears of our aggressors that we as a nation stand undivided and will not relent until justice is served!

Be blessed and thankful that you are alive today. Love your children and your parents, your siblings, your friends, and too pray for the enemies to cease and desist. The war on terror will never end as long as the uneducated masses of the world are swayed with false beliefs, false religion and politicians that lie and do not deliver. Most of all as a single person STAND UP and make your voice be heard, your vote count. Become a change agent and plan with us a strong nation to achieve world peace in our lifetime.

Remember GOD loves you.

Fill your heart with love, live each day as if it were your last for we know not what tomorrow brings.

                            May God's angels watch over us all and keep us safe!

                                                Be blessed and know that God has a plan...

                                           Please leave a comment and your link on 911.

Pay It Forward and Bless a Friend!!!

I discovered this  post today,   September  10th, 2011 by Carol,  a blogger friend I met visiting over at How Sweet The Sound, Pink Saturdays, and she has challenged me to start it going on my blog.!

I would simply love to have replies and share in the blessings of making new friends while all of us

Pay It Forward.

It  would be delightful to bless 3 more people in our lives before the 2011 ends.

 Carol's  blog Blessed Mum posted all the rules who recieved it from

Donna at The House on the Corner. I think I can mange it, here in  little remote West Winfiled, NY . I have what nearly 3 whole months to have 3 of you take up the torch so to speak and

PAY IT FORWARD  Too!

So this is what you do and the rules make it so VERY simple.

I promise to send something handmade

to the first 3 people who leave a comment here.

To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog,

offering to do the same thing for 3 other people.

The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it

must be sent to your 3 people *sometime* in 2011.

Hope I get some comments to be able to bless three

people who will then PAY IT FORWARD too!.

If you like link back to me! I will add you to my blog roll of favorites!

Have fun and can hardly wait to meet my three new blogging friends to bless!

I do Bless My Friends!

May your day be filled with many blessings as well!

My heart is filled with gladness to be Blessed By You!

Off to bed soon and looking forward to YOU being blessed!

Please leave a comment and email me if you accept the challenge!