Monthly Archives: January 2022

News Items Bring Back Fond Memories of the Good Chaplain’s Deployment to Eastern Africa

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The enset, or false banana plant. When the Good Chaplain saw the article, he said, “Hey, I’ve eaten that!”

The Good Chaplain saw an article the other day on false bananas, and it brought back a flood of memories about his time in Eastern Africa. Lately, many news items bring back memories of his deployment in 2010-11 to Djibouti. On Sunday, our local Illinois Army National Guard unit deployed 200 people to Djibouti.

All this news comes at a good time as I outline our book on the Good Chaplain’s time in Eastern Africa. The working title is Eastern Africa: Stories of Hope and Faith.

We have fond, and not so fond, memories of that deployment. The Good Chaplain had terrific experiences traveling around that portion of the continent and visiting with orphanages, village leaders, ambassadors, and even the Ethiopian Pope of the Orthodox Church.

I had fun too, visiting Illinois Girl, my parents, and being free to come and go as I pleased.

No one comes away from a deployment unchanged.

Victoria Terrinoni

But a friend was also killed in Afghanistan during this time. And there was the monster tornado bearing down on Moore, Oklahoma, where we lived at the time. So those are sad and scary memories.

Each deployment has its good times and bad for both the deployed member and the partner left at home. Unfortunately, no one comes away from a deployment unchanged. It’s the nature of the beast.

But we must make the best of the time apart to grow and learn. So I look forward to each opportunity to discover a new strength or talent. And now that we are retired, I wonder when he will go away again — at least for a night!

Until next time,

Vicki

Victoria Terrinoni is the author of Where You Go, I Will Go: Lessons From a Military Spouse. She followed the Good Chaplain around for 31 years as a military spouse. Available on Amazon or the Shop tab above.

Being a kept woman was satisfying and fun while it lasted

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Someone once asked me what I do for a living, and I quickly replied, “I am a kept woman.”

Let me put out there that the Good Chaplain has never endorsed this view. But especially in the last part of his career, I didn’t work for financial gain. I lived off him.

The dictionary doesn’t define “kept woman,” but I have my own. A kept woman is a woman who does nothing but play. She doesn’t work outside the home for money and, she has no children, or they are grown up and out of the house. This last point is crucial. Stay-at-home moms are not kept women because of the very idea that they are raising children. She is not free to go out when she pleases and frequently needs to be home when the kids get home from school. Too many restrictions to be considered a kept woman. Sorry, stay-at-home moms. Your day will come.

Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA production on Pexels.com

Don’t get me wrong, though. My definition of a kept woman is not what you see in movies like “Goodfellas,” where the mobsters all have a woman on the side stashed away in a penthouse living in the lap of luxury. I’m a military spouse. I don’t think anyone considers our lifestyle luxurious.

Photo by Jou00e3o Gustavo Rezende on Pexels.com

I didn’t become a kept woman until we moved to Alaska the second time in 2006. It was the last time I had a paying job, and my girls were in college. The lifestyle fits my definition. I came and went as I pleased. I joined various organizations such as the Spouse Club, squadron spouse groups, the women’s group at the chapel, and others. I volunteered, mainly at the Thrift Shop on different bases.

Photo by Burst on Pexels.com

Sometimes I felt guilty about being a kept woman since it required the Good Chaplain to supply all my money to have fun. But he didn’t seem to mind. He always reminded me that it was “our” money and that I contributed in other ways like cooking meals and cleaning the house (insert hysterical laughter here). I hate housework, but I couldn’t justify hiring a cleaning service while I lolled around all day as a kept woman.

Now that I’ve published a book and am working on a second one, along with writing this blog, I’m not sure if I can still call myself a kept woman. The Good Chaplain put up the seed money for the first book, but I am making some money off it, so I am technically bringing in some income, so the answer is no. But it was fun while it lasted.

Until next time,

Vicki

Do you aspire to be a kept woman? Are you one already? Let me know in the comment section below.

Victoria Terrinoni is the author of Where You Go, I Will Go: Lessons From a Military Spouse. She followed the Good Chaplain around for 31 years as a military spouse. To purchase her book, go to the Buy Here tab on this website.

The Good Chaplain’s Last Deployment Provides Fodder for New Book

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In November 2010, the Good Chaplain embarked on what turned out to be his last deployment. It was significant for several reasons,

  • It was his longest deployment to date — 7 months.
  • It was the first deployment since the girls left home.
  • The mission was cool.

The Good Chaplain went to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. He was the Deputy Command Chaplain CJTF-HOA and Deputy Director of Religious Affairs for Eastern Africa.

Although Djibouti is not known as a hotbed of tourism, the Good Chaplain traveled to several countries in the area, engaging with the locals to help build connections between the United States and those countries. Part of the mission was to help communities become more self-sufficient.

Although I was scared to be alone with him so far away, I was also excited for this opportunity for the Good Chaplain. The then Chief of Chaplains asked me how I felt about this deployment and then assured me the Chaplain Corps never lost a chaplain in Djibouti, except for the one who died of a heart attack. Until then, I wasn’t worried about my husband’s safety.

Although Djibouti did not have any violence at the time, the camp was just 10 miles from the Somalia border. So it gave me cause for concern. Also, several of the countries the Good Chaplain visited were amidst some sort of strife. But I knew he was well protected when he traveled.

The Good Chaplain traveled to many of these countries.

What we didn’t count on was the Good Chaplain picking up some sort of virus, disease, or parasite(we never found out the cause) that left him with lifelong liver disease and ended his deployments for the rest of his career.

The stories of hope, the people he met, and the faith they all had in the face of difficulties we could never dream of led me to decide to write a second book on this deployment. I want to use his trips and experiences to highlight the hope people can have, especially in the face of adversity.

The working title is Eastern Africa: Stories of Hope and Faith. Please give me your thoughts on the book’s subject and on the title. Is this something you would read? Let me know in the comments section below.

I look forward to your input.

Until next time,

Vicki

How Alaskan Winters Provided my Crazy Kids Adventurous Christmas Breaks

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This time of year, when we lived at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, the girls prepared to go back to college in Illinois. It was bittersweet. I missed my girls, but I enjoyed the quiet once I had the house back to myself.

Every Christmas for the three years we lived in Fairbanks, the girls, the Good Chaplain’s mom, and Soccer Stud came to visit. One year they also brought a college friend. They participated in the Christmas revelry of the base and enjoyed the novelty of minus 40 temperatures.

Soccer Stud especially liked the subzero temperatures. On the coldest night, we all bundled up and went to the marquee at the high school on base for a picture under the temperature readings. On his first visit, I promised Soccer Stud’s mom that I wouldn’t let him do anything stupid. But on his first morning, he went onto our snow-covered deck in boots, shorts, and no shirt to take a picture next to the outdoor thermometer! Boys!

Soccer Stud & Illinois Girl in front of the marquee showing minus 44 temperatures.

While the Good Chaplain’s mom would stay bundled up inside our cozy home, the kids played in the great outdoors, exploring much of what an Alaskan winter had to offer. They went dog-sledding, cross country skiing, sledding, and even learned the fine art of curling.

Mrs. Tech Sergeant bundled up for her dog-sled ride.

We took them to visit neighbors. They went with us to Christmas parties and even joined us for the annual New Year’s Eve bonfire on the lake. Yes, the fire was actually built on the lake. It was a little unnerving to hear the ice cracking beneath your feet from the heat of the fire, but the lake was frozen solid, and no danger existed. Finally, after toasting the New Year at midnight, we went home and to bed.

The kids enjoyed the New Year’s Eve bonfire on the lake.

The Chena Hot Springs highlighted one year. It was minus 40 something, but we all donned our swimsuits and headed to the natural hot springs. Since it was so cold out, our hair would freeze in funny compositions. Soccer Stud’s hair was down to his shoulders that year, and as he stood up after getting it wet, it froze at odd angles, sticking up here and there. A group of Japanese tourists started giggling and pointing to him, saying, “Godzilla!” At six-foot-three inches tall with funky hair, he was quite a sight.

All too soon, the vacation was over. The kids and Mom packed up and went to the airport for the early morning flight to Chicago. We gave them props for wanting to visit in the dead of winter and looked forward to the following Christmas when more winter fun would be had.

Until next time,

Vicki

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!