My son is a Marine, Sergeant Norman, E-5. I found this description of Marine moms.  It’s true.
 
The Marine mom:

1. Your phone is with you 24/7.  Nothing will keep you from answering the phone, you don’t even apologize for it. What can’t be described is the sound of his voice from across the world.  “Hey Mom” it is all you need to hear. He is alive and he is whole. “When are you coming home?” You can’t help but ask, he doesn’t know and if he did he wouldn’t tell you.
2. OOH-RAH is one of your new phrases. You don’t really understand why everyone around you isn’t using it.
3. The National anthem makes you stop no matter where you are when you hear it, there are tears in your eyes sometimes, your heart stands still every time.
4. Pride and fear partner up to become your companions. 
5. When you hear or read about a Marine in the news, you pray for that Marine’s mom, somehow, she has become a sister, you understand.
6. The word terrorist takes on a new meaning, it becomes personal.
7. Marine moms don’t sleep much.  Each morning you wake up and think, he is still alive, he made it through another day.  One thing I didn’t know at the time about my son, he was fighting during night too.  Marines don’t necessarily sleep for six to eight hours each night, like we insisted they do while they were growing up.
8. Marine moms wear anything that supports our military, is an awesome fashion statement, even if it is Navy gear.  That is an inside joke for those of us who are with the Marines.   I am sure the Navy has special thoughts for the Marines. 
9. Finally, you know you have raised one of America’s best. 

Freedom is the greatest gift there is. It is fragile and precious, and must be protected at all costs. I am one of the lucky Marine moms. He is home, safe and sound. There are moms who will never hear that voice on the other end of the phone again. Pray for her, especially this weekend. We can’t know her pain and she doesn’t expect us to.  For her we can stop and embrace our freedom and our county. That shouldn’t be too hard, after all, it is the greatest country the world has ever known.

My house is the place I want to be.  It is my sanctuary.  There is nothing more comforting to me than climbing into my bed with a bowl of hot buttered popcorn, a diet coke and a remote control.  I have cabled us up to the limit to watch whatever I want to watch on my exceptionally large tv.   That is my heaven.  I can’t share that time with my friends, but, I do, however, share it with my husband, sometimes, and my dog always.  
 
There are several favorite “public spots” at my house.  I love my living room with the silk sectional and the dining room with our ancestors staring down at us.  The gentleman is holding the NASHVILLE CONSTITUTION, his wife, at least we presume it is his wife, stares down at us with a demure smile.  Who are they?  We have no idea, they came to us from my mother-in- law’s house and now they are ours.   We think we hear them giggling sometimes. 
 
I rarely cook, but I have collected some really cool kitchen things that make my heart sing.  I have copper pots, this was a challenge even for me who can generally justify buying anything.  But telling my husband I was going to spend $2,000.00 on copper pots because they really look good when you serve from the stove, four times a year was beyond even my ability to justify.  So, I asked for copper pots for birthdays and Christmas. I did not ask for my husband to give me these things, he is obligated for much more than that, but I did ask my children and siblings.  It didn’t take long to create a copper pot collection, and I do love them!  They really charm up the kitchen.   
 
The den, it’s awesome, it is filled with things we have collected, it is ever evolving.  The point is, it is our house, and when you come into it you know it is me.  You also know it is my husband’s because his things are everywhere.  He has been tolerant with my ideas and in return the La-Z-Boy recliner stays right where he put it.  That is our compromise.
 
The point of this conversation is, this is your home.  Let it take care of you.  Be bold in your expression.  Life is too short to compromise who you are, when you do that everyone loses.   What do you want your friends and family to experience when they enter your domain?   The great thing about this is it takes so little to make your mark.  Start at the front door, how does it look? Are you there?  Look at the paint, the door knocker, the hardware, who’s taste is that?  Is that you at the entrance of your house?  What about flowers?  Do you love them, the fresh ones, I mean?  Are you a gardener?  I have a friend who specializes in roses.  She spends hours in her rose garden and when she comes to visit, she always has a bouquet for the hostess.  It is a treat to receive one of her bouquets.  They are known as Laurie’s roses.   She has found her mark.  That is the point, you get to decide how to elevate your style.  When you do you begin to make your mark.  That is when the magic happens.