Care packages from HOME!

Every so often, we Canadians get an official 'care package' of goodies that is added to our rations.  It usually consists of some sweet stuff like muffins, cookies, etc..  Really - I think it's a nice thing to have for those times when you miss breakfast, etc. because of work, or whatever.  The other nations don't get this privilege, so they call it things like our 'Red Cross Parcel' (in reference to the Red Cross parcels that used to come in for Prisoners of War in the World Wars), or our 'Welfare Box', etc..  Anyhow - when we get them and walk through the crowds, you can see all their eyes on our boxes.  Oh Canada!  Well, some of the other nations get really nice parcels from home.  I was talking to a US Marine who told me of a program called 'anymarine.com' where well wishers can assemble a parcel with toiletries, etc. as a morale booster, and send it to theatre.  Well, he told me he ended up getting dozens of these parcels, with a request to distribute the contents to any Marine who had need of it.  Wow - that's awesome support from home!  A Canadian told me that there is a similar program from Canadians to the CF members out here.

 

Today seemed to be a day of parcels.  I walked to our central mail room, and there must have just been a delivery or something - there were parcels from everywhere!  As I walked from one point to another, you could see troops sitting down, opening their boxes with envious eyes from other soldiers looking at them.  It reminded me of Christmas, or a birthday!  I've seen people get food (usually lots of it - and we try to stay away from the sweets, although once in a while it is nice!), toys (from their children), cards, T-shirts, etc..  Like I said to you before - it's a piece of home.  A Dutch friend came to me and gave me a bag of 'Goudse Stroopwafels', saying: 'Here!  These are fresh - less than a week old!  They're made on one day, then shipped out the next'... and in our hands in double quick-time!  Mmmm!  They taste good!

 

One day an Afghan gave us some 'Breakfast Cake'.  It kinda tastes like a lemon cake, but with an English servicemember, we sat down and had tea with it.  What a great break!... and the cake tasted very nice (especially with the tea!).  (Wow - now being a fan of Cricket, and now the tea and cake thing - I may be turning English!  Haha!  No way, but I am picking up many of their phrases... like: 'Cracking!' for the Canadian: 'Excellent', or 'half 12' for our 'Twelve Thirty'.)

 

There is an effort here to try to get Knights of Columbus activities out here.  I know very little about them, and I'm not a member, but I think they're a great organization!  Let's hope there are enough KofC's here to make a gathering.  I mentioned that because even on the Catholic front, spiritual care packages are being sent to us.  In Canada somewhere, a group is weaving rope rosaries together for the troops.  I think this is an awesome idea!  There are boxes of those plastic multi-coloured rosaries sitting around here, but nobody takes them.  (I saw a barrack box full of them)  I don't blame the troops for not taking them - can you imagine a soldier in his 'battle rattle' all decked out for war... clasping a pink and light green rosary?  Well - I'm guessing neither can they.  But the dark ones (Black, Brown, and Olive Green) go quite quickly.  Anyhow - I digress... one group from Canada is weaving rope rosaries that are in subdued colours - and are STEALTH - The beads make no sound!  I think all the ones I saw were all scooped up fast! 

 

So what's the latest film I 'gotta see' when I get back?  There's no movie theatre anywhere, so I haven't been to the latest summer flick.  We often joke about our weekends here (which are like any other day) saying: 'So - what are you gonna do on your night off?' 'Well - I think I'll take the car, go downtown and go cruising, maybe hit a Bar and Grille, then see the show'... of which is funny because you can't do any of that here without considering some sort of threat.   Sigh.  I hope peace comes to this land soon.  With our prayers, with our prayers.  In the meantime - please go to the movies and have a nice restaurant meal on a patio for all of us here.  If you can - please take a picture, print it out and send it to me.  It would be nice to be able to look at my wall and see what other people not involved in this over here are doing.  As I said - over here, the regular becomes something special.