Women, eh?

[Mortblanc]

My late wife?

We met in a historic reenactment camp. When we married we had 5 vehicles between us, 3 SUV and 2 pickups, two trailers full of camping gear, a caravan and enough tents to sleep more then 50 people.

The first Christmas present to my new bride was a custom made Kentucky flintlock rifle I spent a year building, along with powder horn and shooting bag.

She was an Army vet, same as me, and she was among the first groups of women that were combat trained to the same standards as male troops. She qualified expert w/M16, .45 auto, ran her 2 miles in 8 minutes and met all other requirements.

She was trained to operate forward aid stations. That is where the medics bring the casualties to await airlift to a MASH unit. It's bloody, gory, and dangerous work, usually right in the line of fire. She came home to run ER STAT labs for 25 years.

She had to sons, who she raised as a single parent. Both boys went to the Marine Corps and did 5 combat tours in Iraq between them. (The immediate family had 8 combat tours on 4 continents among us)

After we married I started gardening the back yard. She was not into that but did ask for her own herb patch and did not hesitate to scarf down any fresh veggies I brought through the back door.

Me having and maintaining preps seemed to make her feel more secure, especially the food stores. I never remember her every questioning the necessity of a case of canned veggies or Dinty More beef stew, although she did make comment on the brand of chili I once purchased. Not the purchase, just the brand!

She insisted that I put together 72 hour kits for each of the boys when they married. Oddly enough the drop dead gorgeous girls they married thought that was a fantastic idea. Big family camping trips became the high point of our summers, grandbabies and all.

We were not "bug out" people, but I always knew I had my own army behind me. My own army and responsibility for a bunch of DILs with babies and no way they could survive roaming like hobos across the countryside. The only way we would leave the house was if a cloud of poison gas was coming out direction.

And even if I were not at the house when trouble happened, I would have pitied the poor fool that tried to do harm to that woman, her boys, her DILs or the grandbabies!

No, I never worried about her giving up, not holding up, or whining.

The real problem, she ruined me. I do not anticipate ever finding another that will measure up to her.