European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 scene stars and stripes june 2007 family 4 helping spouses pursue happiness this the questions Are the answers Are from Kathie speaker and a military spouse 28 she and coauthor Holly a 22year Veteran wrote help in a military spouse i get a life too second March 2007 Potomac Kathie and Holly met As fellow military spouses in they have been speaking and travel ing together since presenting workshops for military spouses throughout the Europe and their Book covers careers and even Joy with emphasis on the positive Side of military life in less than 200 spouse Calls a boo signing at the Ramstein air base As we sat and spouses and other shoppers stopped at Kathie table to ask about the we looked at All the re search on what makes people Happy in she explained to one then we inter viewed hundreds of military spouses of All services to find out How to apply that research to a military Ive been doing this for 20 the to be having passed Terr Barnes the 20year Mark As i later told i was not attracted by the title help in a military it sounds so Desper something we Independent military types try to Kathie said and Holly wrote the Kathie travels brought her to Germa Book to inform spouses who dont know by and i caught up with her at what their resources veterans As Well As we Hope to reach them before they give up on this life and get divorced or convince their spouse to get out simply because they cant make it Kathie weve had Many spouses say about the that just what Ive been Only no one else says i read the Book and found that it does speak to the spectrum of military spouses the the and the it encourages spouses not to wait for the perfect assignment or military retirement to pursue their own Kathie said that its especially important for military spouses to have a goal and make plans to achieve other she spouses Are Cut off from their in our fluid there is so much More that is out of our control and con Stant change that is out of our we have to be amazingly creative to see the she examples from the lives of military spouses illustrate the books emphasis on finding fulfilment in not in spite of the military the authors also list Many other books and resources by and for military one resource covered in the Book is the authors encourage friendships inside and outside the front people outside the military need to know what military spouses Are Kathie said to know their diversity and their All we Are about is helping spouses who Are out there trying to make this military life she to share tools and resources to help them do just for More about Kathie and their workshops and other projects see their web site Terri Barnes is a military spouse and Mother of three living in Contact her at and read the spouse Calls blog summer raises Standard of entertainment heres a Sample of a recent conversation Between Tommy and Ronnie As they watched one of the new Star wars by in referring to one that came out a few years not in the i dont know where any of those new movies fit As far As chronological order goes because prequels that come out years later As sequels confuse i want that into Star wars in the first spider Man and pirates of the Caribbean Are More my my know exactly what order the movies Are really unless there is a Battle scene in i can expect to hear a commentary like the one that Tommy theres Jar Jar binks Ronnie where wheres Jar binks what does he look like r2d2 is my Tommy i like Ronnie Yoda looks like a big Booger at that Point in the i called up an image of Jar Jar binks on Home front the showed it to Ronnie and sent them to wait for the school in one of those bad moms who allows her children to watch to before and it was Hob to Boot their silly conversation lingered in my mind throughout the it seemed so pointless and so not the Way i intend for my children to spend summer hypnotized by Cable we have roller coasters to Sand to get Between our toes and hundreds of relatives waiting to eat North Carolin style Barbecue on the hottest Days of the if i sound its because i i love with its super Long lightning bugs and no even afternoon thunderstorms can be fun if Pam Zich were All watching natures fireworks from our living i love Riding Down the Road with All my windows Down and the blast ing like a even though Tommy and along for the Are evidence that Ive kissed those years summer clothes Are a lot More comfortable than Bulky Winter Wear be cause there is less to and a tee shirt is appropriate attire for almost any sandals just one step away from being which is my preferred to spend the months of june through Early last but definitely not least is the tasty reality that summertime is the season of the ice Cream i grew up in a town too Small to support an ice Cream making me the Ideal customer As an i have to make up for All the ice Cream i missed As soon As we hear the the boys go into a frenzy of looking for Loose change and making sure the ice Cream Man sees we All end up with a Cool last i opted fora family the snoopy but ended up sharing most of it with Jimmy when he realized it was better than his Snow he haunt wanted to order a snoopy bar for himself in front of All his Tough Lacrosse by the ice Cream Man will probably be circling our House twice a that what the ones in san Antonio and san Diego once they realized what Good customers had moved into the about the Only thing that does not get better in the summertime is whats on which makes Doest really with sunny Days ahead and not a school project in the boys and i will be sleeping playing and heading out to the local Yoda will still be around in the looking like a Green a Mother of three Pam Zich has moved eight times in 16 years of marriage to her Marine corps they have been stationed in Texas and their current Home in email her at  or find the Zichos online at Jenny baggage aft from Sandra my bag of potatoes that grew on the Dock for three months during a very humid Japan from Judy the pb4j Sandwich that was under my sons bed but was packed with my husbands uniforms from Lisa our wine collection that was packed full but arrived grass plugs from Tiffany front Yard Jenny is drawn by Julie Negron of Kadena air her web site is year7 celebrates culture most parents with an adopted child from China receive a copy of Rose Lewis i love you like crazy the Book is based on Lewis adoption of her Lewis second childrens every year on your birthday Brown and just released on May Cele Brates the different ways in which a Mother and daughter Mark the daughters first five weaves in ele ments of adoption referral attaining citizen ship and chinese culture the autumn Moon red envelopes for chinese new Chicago Tribune