The Arlington Ladies - who are they?

They are an all volunteer force of wives, widows and daughters of servicemen who attend every military funeral at Arlington National Cemetary. On average there are 10 burials a day. Each Arlington Lady, generally, spends one day a month at Arlington.     



The Arlington Ladies came into existence in 1948 when the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and his wife were walking through a national cemetery. The "Mrs" noticed that some… Continue

you can....why pay all that money for a brand new uniform when you can get lighty worn ones (and sometimes even new ones) for far less than the uniform shop price???

It is really amazing what the thrift shop has to offer. At the old Bolling, the new JBAB base the AFOWC Thrift Shop, has prices for uniforms at a HUGE bargain. Just had a young army man come in and not believe the prices he saw - he will be bringing back his "brandy" new purchases to the uniform shop and stocking up on…

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In my last blog, I said that next up was South Africa....I was fortunate enough to live there for four years from 1996-2000. My husband took the US Naval Attache posting at the US Embassy. Home there was Pretoria but with the South African Navy in Cape Town  many a days were spent in the Cape. Cape Town could easily be voted one of the prettiest places in the world. And as a military spouse, I highly recommend an Attache posting wherever it may be. I would do it all over again in a… Continue

We have been on a vacation or as the jolly ole' Brits call it a holiday. The first stop was London for a quick two nights. It had been so many years since we had been in London. I'd been to the UK in more recent times but not London.



We easily found a hotel online in Earls Court - the southwest side of London for about 100 USD a night. The accommodation was small but in an excellent location and spotlessly clean. Princess Di even lived in Earls Court at one time.



Landing… Continue

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Everyone loves a bargain and a military discount and I have even found a thrift shop that offers a 25% military discount everyday - Georgia Avenue Thrift Shop located at 6101 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC. This shop has been a favorite of mine for some time - it has a little bit of everything and for the "vintage picker" this is a great place - remember tho' it's always hit or miss.

For those that live in Maryland, there are a few good second hand shops. Why not spend Wed morning in…

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We all remember where we were on Sept 11 and what a terrible day it was, one we will never forget. As we get closer to the anniversary, I am sure many folks wonder if there are rememberances or services in the local area. On September 11 , the book In The Shadow of Greatness will be launched at the Navy Memorial.  The book pays tribute to those who lost their lives from the Naval Academy graduating class of 2002. My friend Lisa Freeman will be speaking - Lisa lost her son Matthew Freeman, a…

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Summer is coming to a close...the kids are back in school or almost. What will you do with all that free time? Why not take a look at joining the AFOWC (Air Force Officers Wives Club) in the DC area? There is great line-up of events and lots of opportunities to help the community. The kick-off event is coming up and I am happy to provide you with the details below. So calling all Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy ladies...think about it!…

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Over the past two years I have been taking care of my mom who has Alzheimer's - trying to take into consideration all of her wishes to the best I can which is very challenging at times. It is a very hard disease to watch someone progress with. I am an only child so I am the one that manages all her needs - care, finances, doctors, etc. I was fortunate enough to have Power of Attorney so I could manage certain aspects of her daily living. My mom tho' has become very beligerant and agitated…

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Did you know that Ft. Myer's offers vet services? It is the very basics...shots, blood tests, heart worm prevention but the prices cannot be beat. Used to be that you could schedule an appointment but now they just do "walk-ins" on certain days. We have been going for years and saving for years and the service is excellent.

 

Since the clinic can close for this at any time due to fulfilling their main role (looking after those special horses), it is best to call ahead. The…

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With the end in summer in sight and the economy sluggish, at best - it looks like the airlines are beginning their "Traditional Fall Sales"  earlier this year. Industry experts suggest that carriers may remove their travel surcharges they add onto summer fares sooner. The deals they are offering are lasting longer. For example, instead of a carrier offering the sale for a 7 day selling period, they may look to 10 days - all good news for the consumer. Carriers want to "romance" flyers who…

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OnLine Travel Agencies - like Priceline and Expedia...ever wonder what the right price is when you bid for an airline seat or a hotel room? What is likely the lowest price that you might be able to bid? Generally speaking, the lowest bid that might get you that seat is close to the lowest fare that was in the market during its selling season. So for example, if the lowest fare 40 weeks prior to departure was 158 RT from Washington to New York, likley a bid lower than that will not make you…

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So many of us love to travel - whether it's for a vacation or to visit friends and family...and we all look out there for the best deal especially those airline deals. So how can you get great deals???? Let's look at the DC Metro area - the major carriers such as United, American, US Airways and Delta really dominate the market esp. in Washington Reagan Natioanal and Dulles airports and hence they really "set the fares." But once a low cost carrier comes in the market, the fares tend to dip…

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The rumor is that the thrift shop on the Anacostia side of Joint Base - Anacostia-Bolling has re-opened. Details are:

Open Tues and Thursday 1530-1830 and the First Saturday of the month 1000-1400.

Address - Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, 2770 Enterprise Way, Building 72, Room 149

Phone- 202-433-3364

Always remember to check ahead to be sure of the hours before you venture out. The shop just re-opened about being closed for awhile.

So if you haven't taken that trip to the Fort Myer Thrift Shop yet, here is another good reason to go over that way. The Old Guard lets folks visit with the ceremonial horses. I went recently and got the chance to meet Sergeant York up close and personal. He's a real beauty and most famous for being the riderless horse who carried President Reagan's boots backwards in the stirrups during the funeral procession in DC. I believe, but don't hold me to it - you can visit everyday between 12-4pm.… Continue

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I am so glad to have been selected as one of the first bloggers for DC Military

Living. I hope to reach out to as many folks as I can and engage some followers

over the coming months. This article ran in last weeks Comprint publications on the bases in the DC area. Wanted to blog it so we have a starting point. The main topic that I hope to write about is how can

military families save here and there, cut some costs.  Everybody loves a great

deal - whether it's to get a…

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