Washington DC last week of February, a very interesting trip!  I was up very early to get myself organized and off to the airport for the National Conference.  Park my truck at the lot across from the airport, hopped on the shuttle and away I went.  The trip was uneventful but I had an unexpected surprise of have Past Department Commander Bob Batty on the flight with me.  Got to the hotel and checked in and ran into Pearl Behrend and Loretta Shellmann in the lobby.

Those 2 sure do know how to pick a good place to sit.  Just about everyone at the conference had to pass by where we were sitting and of course stopped to greet Pearl.  My roomie, Diane Duscheck, arrived a bit later and the fun began.

We had an interesting evening listening to the proceedings of the National Executive Committee meeting.  So much interesting information presented.  After the meeting many of us decided we needed some substance so we converged on the lobby bar/restaurant and had a fun-filled hour or so, chatting and enjoyed the good food.  Then it was off to our room for some much-needed rest.  We were good little girls and only talked for a couple hours after "lights-out". 

The next morning the NEC meeting continued with the program chairmen giving their mid-year reports.  It was a very full morning.  So much interesting information on what is going on around the nation.  It's always beneficial to hear the workings of the National Organization and how policy changes effect virtually everyone at every level of the Auxiliary. 

In the afternoon we broke into groups to attend Program Development Workshops.  Various presenters addressed the topics of Supporting Servicemembers and their families, helping veterans succeed in school, and homeless veterans.  Other than freezing in the rooms, the presentations were great and gave everyone so much to think about. 

That evening, National President Peggy Thomas hosted the Opening Session of the conference.  National Commander Jimmy Koutz and SAL National Commander Chris Huntzinger were on hand as the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard presented the Colors and veterans from the Creative Arts Festival entertained.  We enjoyed the evening but knew that we needed some rest before the next full day of activities.  So like good little girls we headed off to our room and only talked for a couple hours after "lights-out". 

It was a couple days packed with so much information.  I could go on and on but I really want to talk about the visit to "the Hill".  Wednesday was the designated day to visit our Legislators.  The day dawned to clouds but mild temperatures, but I decided to add my umbrella to my purse, just in case. 

Department Adjutant David Kurtz graciously offered to be my guide through the hall of Congress, as Commander Wayne was home recovering and unable to attend.  Adjutant Dave was an excellent companion for my first venture into the world of high government.  He was very kind and considerate and made me feel very comfortable in strange surroundings.

Our first visit was to Congressman Ribble who represents the District around Appleton.  Next we met with Congressman Duffy from the western part of the state and then it was off to visit Congressman Paul Ryan.  We got to meet Senator Ron Johnson in passing but did get to spend some time with this Aide.  Our last meeting was with Senator Tammy Baldwin.  I had the privilege of sharing all that Wisconsin is doing with our Homeless Women Veterans Grant Fund and all that has been going on at Boudicca House. 

These visit were our opportunity to share The Legions' position on various legislative issues and let our Legislators know how important it is to continue to provide programs that benefit our veterans and active duty military. 

When all our visiting was done we headed back to our hotel, and it was pouring rain!  That extra item in my purse really came in handy.  That evening, we participated in a joint reception for the 3 candidates running for National Chaplain this year.  I was very proud to stand next to our candidate, Gayle Janson and present her to the many members that passed through the room that night.  We enjoyed the evening but knew that we needed some rest before the next day of activities.  So like good little girls we headed off to our room and only talked for a couple hours after "lights-out". 

Our last day in DC was spend on an awesome tour of the city.  Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery where we witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  We watched in silent reverence as the guards performed the silent ritual.  National President Peggy Thomas placed a wreath from the Auxiliary. 

Our tour continued around various points of interest in the Cemetery and then to monuments around the city.  It was an amazing morning seeing so much history right before our eyes. 

It was time to go home.  We were all pretty tired.  During my waiting time for my flight I happened to bring up the weather on my Ipad and noticed some disturbances around Wisconsin.  I grabbed my cell phone and called my husband Bob who informed me that Milwaukee had gotten about a foot of snow the night before!  All I could think of was my truck parked at an outside lot and me not have any boots along! 

One the flight home I was joined by Ron Kuta and Bob Batty.  We all wondered if we would have trouble getting to our vehicles that night.  It was a good flight, right on time.  We claimed our luggage, boarded the shuttle to our cars and held our breath.  The lot was piled high with snow in every direction and many of the vehicles had piles 3 & 4 feet high behind them.  When the shuttle driver pulled up behind my truck, it was all cleaned off!!!  Seems my dear husband went there when he got off work and shoveled it out and cleaned off all the snow!  What a guy!!! Ron and Bob weren't so lucky.  They had big piles behind their vehicle and it did take them several tries at "rocking" the car to finally get it out. 

I finally got home, very tired but full of so much energy from the great trip to DC.

President's Day dawned and it wasn't quite so cold!  Got an early start to get all that distance (all of maybe a mile) to Klemmer's for the Milwaukee County Conference of Units 87th Annual George Washington Luncheon.  As I am still Secretary/Treasurer of the Conference I had a few duties to perform in addition to being the keynote speaker of the day. 

Guests began arriving early so they could capture the best seats, not that there are any bad ones in the beautiful ballroom.  Among the invited guests were Commander Wayne and his wife Donna.  We chatted for a bit and I had to tend to some details so Sue stayed behind chatting with him.  The nest thing I knew, Sue came running to the stage to tell me Donna had taken Wayne to the hospital.  My mind began racing.  Since he had recently had knee surgery I thought he had fallen or hurt the knee, only to find out he was having chest pains and a heart attack. 

It was difficult to make the announcement that he was having this major health issue, especially since most of the group had been chatting with him only a few minutes earlier.  Prayers were offered for him and the mood stayed pretty somber.  Department Vice Commander Chuck Roloff graciously stepped in and made a few brief remarks on behalf of the Department.  Reports later in the day said that within 15 minutes of his departure from Klemmer's West Allis Hospital determined he was having a heart attack and transported him to St. Luke's fast for treatment. 

The rest of the week was fairly low-key as we waited for news on our pal Wayne.  It was all good as he did get released and was able to go home and wait for more treatment in a couple weeks.

That week ended with the 4th District meeting on the 23rd.  Then it was home to pack for the trip to Washington DC.

Saturday, February 16th was a day to remember!  We headed north to Ripon for the Legion Oratorical State Finals.  What an amazing event!  We got to watch the 3 finalists give their prepared orations and then speak on an impromptu topic with only a brief time to prepare their remarks.  The first young woman was impressive and I thought to myself that it would be hard to top her performance.  I was wrong.  The other two contestants were equally as good if not better.  Each was distinctively different but the vast knowledge these young women had on the Constitution and the amazing stage presence were something to witness.  I understand the judging was extremely difficult.  In the end our own contestant from 4th District, Astha Berry was declared the winner and would represent Wisconsin in Indianapolis.

That evening we were guests at the 6th District Americanism Banquet. This is an annual event that honors members of the district for their outstanding contributions to the Americanism program.  It was a great evening and we truly enjoyed being part of it. 

We when we were done we had planned on heading right back to the hotel but got slightly sidetracked when a certain Diane engaged us in a lively conversation about...hummm, can't remember what!  We finally did let her head back home and went to our motel for a little rest.  It was going pretty good till we were getting a little cold in the room and found out the heat had quit!  Hotel management was very nice and moved us to a much warmer room on a very cold night!  Just one of those fun things when you travel.

It was quite a week, gone 6 nights and slept in 6 different beds!  Whew!! 

Friday, February 15th was one busy day!  After a slightly slow start, which was greatly needed, we went over to the Ho Chuck Conference Center for one amazing event.  Although short on planning time, since we did not hear about it till around three weeks prior, the event was very successful.  Amazing how great things happen from small ideas! 

The WDVA, United Women Veterans and country singer Ricky Lee put their heads together to create a benefit for the Homeless Women Veterans Grant Fund.  The contacted Kathy Wollmer and Bonnie Dorniak for some assistance and pretty much out of nowhere a fundraiser was born.  Kathy and Bonnie took the lead, contacted Auxiliary members around the state for basket donations and help and the results were awesome.  The Legion and SAL got on board and had information tables in the Veteran Benefit Expo.  Several of our members from over in 7th came by to held with registration and the silent auction. 3rd, 4th and 12th Districts were also well-represented and very helpful.

The program began with the Ho Chunk Nation from the Andrew Blackhawk Post performing drum songs.  Their Color Guard brought in the colors and performed a beautiful ceremony including each branch of the services.  Carolyn Morgan from the WDVA and Elizabeth Benn from UWV were the main program speakers.  Singer Ricky Lee sang several songs to entertain the guests.  The Ho Chunk Nation presented me with a poem to guide me as I travel the rest of this year.  It was an awesome event and at the end of a very long day when all was said and done, the event raised over $1800 for the Grant Fund!  WOW!!

Sue & I had to take our leave mid-afternoon because I was invited to attend the Grand Opening of the new CBOC in Baraboo.  What a beautiful facility!  Very nicely appointed with much up-to-date technology to better serve our veterans.  We enjoyed the tour of the facility but soon had to begin the trip south to Milwaukee to attend the Sweetheart Dance at Greendale Post 416.

It was a nice day for a drive and it went very well.  Got back home just in time to grab some quick food and prepare for the evening.  The organizers of the dance suggested 50's wear or military uniform for those that could still fit into them!  It was a night for poodle skirts!  We did not disappoint.  Out came the curling iron, a large can of sticky hair spray, the bright blue eye shadow and the iridescent pink lipstick.  We wore white "cat-eye" glasses too!  What a sight!!  When we got to the dance we found an assortment of poodle skirts and teased hair.  A fun night was had by all!  Quite a few photo-ops!   Ah, the memories!!

After our exciting meeting in Portage, Sue & I headed north to Tomah.  We met Commander Wayne and his wife Donna and had a wonderful dinner and some much-needed down-time.  It's always great to enjoy an evening with good friends.

It has snowed a bit overnight, but bright and early Thursday morning, February 14, yes Valentine's Day, we headed to the Tomah VA for the Legion's official tour.  But before all that started, we got the greatest treat!  We got to watch the Veterans Creative Arts Festival competition.  How awesome to see these great veterans performing live.  There were vocal and musical numbers and each was performed with such grace and precision.  It was very touching to watch as these gallant men and women came to the microphone, some visibly struggling with past traumas in their lives.  The show was awesome! 

One of the highest honors Sue & I  received this year was being asked to be judges for the vocal and instrumental competition.  The performances were all so good, it was difficult to score the competitors.  It's definitely something I will always remember. 

We also had the pleasure of having lunch with some of the veterans in the cafeteria.  We were treated to sweet treats provided by a local high school.  There was also musical entertainment during our break.

In the afternoon, we accompanied Commander Wayne as the Legion made their official tour of the facility.  Like all the other VA facilities around the state, it has it's own personality and addresses the needs of our veterans in the best possible ways.  Laura Bishop was our tour guide and took us to an area that is being newly renovated with the latest technology so the patients experience the best care. 

To make our day complete, the Commander gave Sue & I a box of chocolates so we wouldn't miss celebrating Valentine's Day away from our husbands.  What a guy!!  Oh, just in case you were wondering, his wife got one too!!

After a really great day, with lots and lots of walking, we bid good-bye to the Jensen's and hopped in the car to head down to Ho Chunk for our next event on Friday.

Catching up!

Well, here we go with some long-awaited updates!  Nobody told me how difficult it was going to be keeping up with myself!! 

February was an awesome month!  So many places, so many miles!

February 1st was the Salute to African American Veterans at Zablocki.  Just a couple days later on the 3rd, we returned for the observance of 4 Chaplains Sunday.  This was a wonderful, moving ceremony.  I was glad my husband Bob and 4th District President Sue and her husband Gene could accompany us.  Commander Wayne, his wife Donna, 5th District Commander Ensley Brown and many others from 4th & 5th Districts joined in the solemn observance of the 4 Chaplains.

The rest of that week was pretty quiet which was a good thing because the next week was a very long trip, over 1,200 miles by the time we got back home!

We started out on Monday, February 11th and headed south to Springfield, IL. for the Annual American Legion Lincoln Pilgrimage.  It was a cold, windy morning and as Sue and I  watched the morning weather, wondering if we had enough warm clothes along!  That weather guy promised partly cloudy skies with some light snow flurries for the early going.  After the mandatory coffee stop, we hopped on I43 and headed south.  The further south we went, the worse it was snowing!  It was really interesting at times when it was snowing sideways & complete white-out! 

We got to the toll plaza when we got into Illinois, paid the fee and mentioned that it would be nice if they could turn off the snow for us.  I guess requests work because about 10 miles later, it stopped and the sun sort of came out.  But, boy, was it windy!!  The "company car" was being blown all over the place & I know that my fingers and hands hurt from hanging on so tightly to the steering wheel. 

One of our funnier moments came when we stopped for some coffee for us and gas for the car & the wind kept me from opening the car door.  That wasn't bad enough, but when I got out I had to try to put my coat on in the freezing winds.  I really looked ridiculous, line a bat flying!  We did get the car filled up but I was so cold the heat went way up till I got warm again.

Somewhere along the way my companion came up with the idea of stopping at an original Route 66 diner for lunch!  I agreed and we went in search of one.  We drove a long way and never did find one!  We arrived at the Springfield Hilton in a flurry of wind!  We managed to find the Wisconsin delegation without much difficulty and then went off to our room to change for the evening dinner that the organizers told us was with the National President.  Well it was, it just wasn't ours!  We ended up out with a group that was taking the National President, pardon mois the National Chapeau of 8&40, out to a local historical restaurant.  We did have a nice time, but were a little miffed by the communication gap.

When we had a chance to chat with the others from Wisconsin, they were telling us some interesting tales about our hotel.  Most of them had arrived the day before in some equally strong winds and a lot of rain.  Seems that the hotel, which is a tall hotel-in-the-round type structure, groans and sways in the strong breezes!  Most said they were not able to sleep very well the night before so we were lucky that although it was still pretty brisk, at least the building was not moving by the time we got there.

Tuesday morning we attended a wonderful breakfast hosted by the Auxiliary Department of Illinois.  National President Peggy Thomas was on hand to tell us about some of her many experiences as she has traveled this year.  Great time and photo-op before we headed off to meet the Legionnaires for the trip to the cemetery.

By the time we got going it had warmed up some and turned into a pretty nice day.  We joined the Commander and his wife as we patiently waited for the procession to depart.  With the requisite number of delays accomplished, we got rolling on the short trip through Springfield to the tomb of Abraham Lincoln. 

Once parked, we all had the opportunity to walk around the monument a bit and of course have our picture taken touching the nose on Abe's bronze statue for luck.  The Commander and I were finally ushered into the tomb to receive our instructions for the wreath-laying ceremony, while Adjutant Dave escorted Sue & Donna to a place where they could observe the ceremonies. 

It was such an honor to be a participant in these ceremonies, something few people get to do.  It was an amazing experience and awesome honor to be able to lay a wreath on behalf of the Department of Wisconsin at the tomb of one of our greatest presidents.  We had the privilege of hearing many local dignitaries as well as the National SAL Commander, National President Peggy Thomas and National Commander Jimmy Koutz and they so eloquently spoke about the president that had such a lasting influence on our country.  It is an experience I will never forget. 

After the ceremonies concluded we headed back to the hotel for the annual luncheon sponsored by The American Legion of Illinois.  After listening to the speeches and bidding our good-byes, we again embarked on a journey to find Route 66.  As of today, still looking for it!! 

It was a long ride to our next stop, Portage, Wisconsin.  We eventually wound our way north for a meeting at headquarters the next morning.  If there was ever a long day on the road, I think this was it.  It got dark pretty early so the last part of the trip seemed longer.  We did finally make it to the hotel in time for a nice dinner and even a dip in the pool and hot tub. 

We had a very interesting meeting in Portage on Wednesday.  This one was all about planning for our convention in July.  The time passed to fast but working out the details with Department Secretary Bonnie was great.  Finally got down to making decisions on some specifics for the big event.  So many details to put in place.  Many changes for this year, all for the good of course!  Guess there will me many more planning sessions but if they all go as good as this one did it will be one great event.

More shortly...I promise!!

This weeks adventure had us heading west to Wisconsin Dells for the Legion's annual Mid Winter Conference.  But first we had to make a detour to Waunakee High School.  We met with two young ladies that are spear-heading a fundraising project to benefit the Homeless Women Veterans Grant Fund, our Special Project for the year.  Meeting Kelly and Maddie was an amazing experience.  We got to hear how they chose this particular project and what they are doing to raise funds for the program.  Through their counselor and his connection with the Madison VA, they heard about the project and decided they wanted to adopt it as their fundraiser for the year.  So far, proceeds from an event at their basketball game will be donated to the Auxiliary for the fund, as well as some from a dance this weekend.  It was so great to talk with these bright, enthusiastic girls.  They really remind a person that there is hope for the future.  I am over-joyed that they are concerned about our veterans and wanted to know more about what we do as an organization and how they could help.  More information on this when we go to receive the check for the donation.

After this great visit, we headed north to the Dells and got comfortable at he Ho Chunk Casino Conference Center.  Wouldn't you know it?  Our room was at the far end of the "u" shaped corridors of the hotel.  Nice room, but pretty far from the events.  No big deal for us, really needed the walk!

Friday morning came early, of course, but we were up and running, completely dress BTW, and in our seats well before the 8AM Convention planners meeting.  Really interesting meeting, and enlightening in some ways.  It was great having this day to catch up with old friends and do a whole lot of socializing.  We headed back down those long halls for a rest before we met the Central Division National Vice President Mary Jo Berning from the Department of Iowa.  We had a great dinner with her and Past National Presidents Jan Pulvermacher-Ryan and Pearl Behrend.  It was nice to be in a very relaxed setting, chatting and enjoying great food and company.  Of course, Friday night was the annual hospitality rooms sponsored by various candidates for Legion offices this year.  Unfortunately this Madam President had to go to her room and do her homework!  Membership Chairman Ann presented me with a 6" high pile of certificates that needed my signature!  Guess I will know better next time...will run & hide:)

Saturday was another early day!  I was asked a while back if I would help with some computer training for the Legion and of course, in the spirit of "working together" I said I would.  I did one class at 8 and another at 11.  Pretty basic stuff, but for some it was needed information.  Classes went well and I even got to tell the "flying computer" story!  In between, we had the Finance Meeting.  It was another opportunity to review items important to the daily future running of the Department.  It was a fast exit to the Auxiliary Luncheon where Mary Jo was our honored guest.  I was late getting up to the room, class went long, I met a special Auxiliary member on the way so it was a slightly hectic start to the event!  A few deep breaths, a couple flubs, and a couple laughs later, all was well again! 

Home again on Sunday without event, but the mandatory stop at Johnson Creek to visit our awesome friends at Dressbarn!  and yes a couple little things did follow me home!