Papaya Mom

Last night, while strutting my awesome gray outfit (long pants, sweater and neat snowflake necklace) at the Submarine Cocktail party I ended up talking to a very nice woman. I was later told by my husband that her husband was a retired four star (Admiral), this matters not to me when I’m just blowing the breeze at a par-tay (say it loud and happy)!

So, she asked what I liked to do when my husband was on sea tour (that time where I become his second wife to the big bitch, aka. whatever submarine he is attached to). I admitted I was a “joiner” making up for my lack of ever having the joy of a sorrority. I join the Officer’s Wives Club, I volunteer to chair the Dolphin Charity Auction, I work at Habitat for Humanity (office work of course, no hurting the manicure), I work on Santa Letters for kids on the base and I’m just now getting certified to lead Compass Seminars. Yep, she pegged me - an old fashioned Navy wife. I gave credit to many great mentors and pointed out that, however unlikely, I enjoy these things as service to my community, a way to stay busy, and involvement in supporting a career of my husbands that allows me to stay home. I left out that staying home = eating Reese’s Pieces whenever my love handles dear please.

What I find funny is that I have a copy of “The Navy Wife” by Pye, early (read = antique) edition where a wife is read into the club about white gloves, name cards, calling hours, tea parties, what to bring to that (gasp) heathen place called Hawaii (your own sheets, they don’t make them very well there apparently). I bought it as a joke, a funny thing to have in my house to take great quotes from, not to emulate. Apparently there are parts of it I’ve done quite well, at least in the eyes of others.

In more amusing news, I had a rental minivan for three days and now I can’t wait for the new Toyota Sienna Minivan HYBRID!!! It may be ugly, but it’s got the luxury of a minvan with the feel-good-about-driving-everywhere of a hybrid. I think I’m in love.

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