Military Monday: Rubbing (Worry) Stone

   Here is a good thing for both the spouse left behind and the the marine deployed. It's called a "Rubbing Stone" or a "Worry Stone". Apparently there are a lot of kinds of "special" Worry Stones with spiritual implications, but I personally don't believe it so the purpose is some what different for me.  Let me back up and give yo some background.

A few months into deployment my husband, Ben, told me about something he had heard from another buddy with him that he was going to do. His buddy told him of an American Indian story about when warriors left for a battle or a hunt. They would be gone for weeks or months at a time when hunting. So the warrior would pick out a stone and rub it every time they were missing there loved ones. They rubbed it so much that is would get a deep divot in it from there thumb rubbing it so much. And when they returned to there loved ones they would show them how deep the divot got on the stone. Showing them how often the warrior thought of them and missed them. 

I researched this story and could only find and alternate one. It is from a book by: Marianna Dengler, called "The Worry Stone". This legend is about 

a young woman's, Tokatu, husband, Akima, died on 

their wedding day. Tokatu never remarried, and cried at her 

husband's 

gravesite each year on the anniversary of their marriage and of Akima's death. When Tokatu died an old woman, the women of the village buried her next to Akima. On his grave, they found small, smooth stones,Tears of Tokatu, and the Chumash came to believe that these stones had the power to ease people's troubles...

So the latter story is a little nicer for those of us in a deployed situation, but I thought I would give both examples.

Anyway, back to Ben, he told me the story about the Indian warrior

 then he told me that he had picked out a stone. And every time he 

missed me and was stressed he would grab the 

stone and rub it or just hold it and think of me. When he came for R&R a few months ago he gave me that stone. It didn't have a divot in it 

but it was very smooth. He told me it wasn't 

that smooth when he picked it out, but it was now. 

Now I have the stone. At first it just sat on my night stand, but about a month after R&R I was missing Ben extremely bad. So I grabbed his rubbing stone. I didn't some much rub is as much as I just held it. Something about the weight and the reality of the stone in my hand 

made me calmer and feel closer to Ben. Ben told me that the stone he gave me literally held 

his blood, sweat, and tears. Also it means a lot to because it is from the land where he is 

deployed, Afghanistan, so I am holding many pieces of him with me. I honestly didn't think a 

stone could comfort me but it does! When we get our home I plan to put the stone in a shadow box and and hang it in the house. I don't believe the stone has any spiritual and healing 

powers  what so ever, but it helps!

Me and my Rubbing Stone from Ben

So take from this what you will. It may sound a little 

strange and you may not want to try it! But we do crazy 

things when we are going through deployments. This is 

something you can try a little less crazy!    

Military Monday: Wrap and Decorate His Package from the Inside.

Birthday Decorate Box

       So one day I wanted to make Bens package real special I wanted to put more time and love in his package then just the things I filled it with. It's one thing buying special goodies for him it's another to make things for him. But at the same time I didn't want to send him things that would just pile up and take up space then we would have to pay to send it all back. What was a girl to do? 


Wondering what to do, to give him more of me, make him smile, and feel me closer, I got online ans started Googling and finally found it! Why not wrap his package on the inside? Especially the lid flaps! 

Anniversary Decorated Box

Theres lots of stuff you can do!


- write notes to him/her


- get scrap booking stickers


- pictures of the two of you or the kids


-wrapping paper
               - Birthday
               - Holidays
              - Anniversary


- Anything that gets you creative












Hope this helps you show him how much you love him! Even better don't tell him you did it and he will be very pleasantly surprised of what you did!

Anniversary Decorated Box

Anniversary Decorated Box

Anniversary Decorated Box

Wood stove, Football, and Pumpkin Spice Candles

Last night was a cool night and more importantly the first official football game of the season was on last night too! The Saints vs. The Vikings, Saints won. No wood stove burning last night, but it was cold enough. Earlier in the evening I had lit moms new Pumpkin Spice candle in the kitchen to set the mood for the evening.


It all took me back to Monday Night Football when I was a little girl. Monday night was usually a big homework night, bath night and to bed by 8:00pm. All of these goings ons serenaded by the "enthralling" football game on the t.v. playing in the background. I don't think, as a child, I could fall asleep without the sounds of the last hour of the football game lulling me to sleep. Or sit in a nice southing bubble bath without the refs whistles blow echoing from the living room. Or laying on the living room floor doing my homework only stopping when the commercials came on. Such was life on Monday night in the Garris household. I don't think any of us watched real hard or close unless of coarse it was the Seahawks or the 49'ers or our own family rivals,the teams of  our cousins, the Packers or the Rams. The game was just there, a comfort if you will, a reminder that all was home, safe and comfortable.


The pattern of Monday night was predictable in the fall. My sister and I would immediately enjoy the last lights of the cool fall day until it was dinner time or to dark to play. Eat a yummy dinner then start in on homework all the while enjoying the comforting sounds of helmets and bone smashing together in the background. By 7 someone was in taking their bath enjoying the crowds rower echo threw the house to the bathroom. All the while hearing the occasional creek of the wood stove door swinging and the banging of wood being put in the fire to keep it a blaze. While the second bath taker was enjoying the bubbles and warm water the first got something very special; plopped in Daddy's lap all clean and in jamies  so he can brush your hair. The best part of the whole night was siting in his lap while he brushed my hair the way only daddy could all the while answering my many questions about football and who were the "good guys" and who where the "bad guys". After both my sister and I had been cleaned changed and brushed we were sent of to bed! It never took long to fall asleep on Monday nights. To this day no one can lull me to sleep like Michaels and Madden, the commentators of the game. Just the sounds of their voices can make me does off. I remember  the soft light that the lamps from the living room would cat down the hall, I imagined mom and dad siting together watching the last minutes of the game as I fell asleep.


Now where does the Pumpkin Spice Candle play into all this? Well mom may not have always had a candle burning, when I was real little that was hardly the case, but she did have all the fall decor out and was probably in the kitchen baking something yummy. Poppy Seed bread, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, zucchini bread (with chocolate chips) and the list goes on and on. So the smells of baked goods is a must on Monday nights.


In all this to my dismay there is no longer Monday Night football on local channels. So no more cozy Monday nights. So even though last night was Thursday it was a Monday night to me! I miss those days. We were such a happy little family! Now we're all grown up (even mom and dad) and running this way and that. But I think in our memories we will always have our wood stoves, football, and Pumpkin Spice Candles.  

*Kisses*

For the military brides around the world:

If you are near your husband or boyfriend or when he comes home from work or just the next time you see him, kiss him and kiss him good. Think about what you love about his kisses and what he likes about yours. And when you do, think of all the military brides, who all they have is the memory of his kiss. Don't feel bad, because you can kiss your man and we can't kiss ours. Your supposed to make up for our kisses that we lost so you can have yours.

My husband Ben and I

Though it hurts now we know a secret, a military mans kiss has more passion, love, care, and desire, than a prince charming's kiss, a first kiss, or any epic movie kiss ever rated. And some of us are lucky enough to get those kisses more than once through the years.


I guess you've figured out by now I'm really needing my husbands kiss. And you'd be right because I do! But the only thing that would make me feel better is if you went and you gave your man a kiss because you can when ever you want to. Don't take it for granted and its ok if you do, I do when he's with me we just do. But what I wouldn't do to feel his kiss right now, just soft and quick then long and full, his kiss.

What am I doing........

       Alrighty then, blogging new concept to me and new word in my vocabulary. My name is Michelle Baumgarten and I am a very proud bride of a marine, who is currently deployed, which can only make me doubly proud. A lot is going on in life and the old pen and paper just won't cut it this time so I've decide to dive into the blogging world (tips are welcome).  


      

Me and, my marine husband, Ben

 I hope to not only have a place to share dreams, hopes, desires, struggles, and maybe a little venting here and there, but for my words, thoughts, pics, etc. also to help and impact others in a positive light and bring them a little joy and amusement! 

Little background on my blog name, while dating, my husband liked to give me lots of silly nick names like; honey bunches, baby cakes (you get the idea) and I hated them! But one day he called me Jellybean and it stuck! It's special he doesn't use all the time and I like that! 

Any way so I'm starting to get into this blogging thing and I hope to meet more of you bloggers and learn great things from each other! I'll tell ya all about us in my profile! I'm so excited! I don't want to stop! But really I need to go to bed so I don't sleep in and miss yoga (again).