Cookies for Soldiers

It's break from school and usually I have a 101 things I need to do before the next quarter begins. One of the things on my list was to work on my new book. I joined a new writing group and the goal with this one is to Write a Book in a Year. One of the guidelines is, it can't be a book you have been working on, it has to be a new story. Well, I've had an idea on the back burner, so I decided to try it out.

The new book Vmail/Email is a story is about two couples, a contemporary couple and a couple in 1944. Their stories are told through letters and email. The husband in the contemporary couple, is deployed to Iraq and the husband in 1944, WWII is somewhere in the South Pacific.

While at WonderCon I shared the concept of my new book with one of my friends who offered to take me to where she works, Fort Irwin, to help with the research on the book. She drove me out to Fort Irwin in the middle of the Mohave dessert and showed me around the huge base.

Here's a picture of the long winding road.


Another friend spent the afternoon with us. She also works at Fort Irwin. Her son is in Iraq and will be part of the young men and women who will be sent to Afghanistan. She shared what it is like for her to have a son deployed to Iraq, her fears and worries.

Mean while back at home, my kids are bugging me to bake cookies for the past week. They think I have nothing better to do since I'm on break. I've managed to convince them that I'm too busy and the cost of chocolate chips and walnuts are too expensive. After I returned home from my visit with my friends and tour of Fort Irwin, I had a wonderful email from my friend with a picture of her son. As a mother, I couldn't imagine sending my son off to Iraq. I felt I needed to do something, so I asked my friend if it's okay to send her son cookies. She says he'd love them!

I told my kids, if they buy the ingredients I'll bake cookies. They think they were successful in convincing me to bake, but I tell them it's only because of my friend's son in Iraq. So Friday, I set out to bake cookies and then be at the post office before 5:00 pm. I baked 20 dozen cookies, I never do anything in moderation and was exhausted by 3:00. I wanted to take a nap, but instead I wrote a note and boxed up 3 dozen cookies. I filled out the Customs form at the post office. The post office clerk gave me a sad smile when he read under "Description of Contents" COOKIES and the APO address IRAQ.

I went to my writing class yesterday, I didn't make the deadline to submit more chapters for critique. I don't know if I can write this book, it's already been an emotional journey. But what I learned so far, no matter what you think about the war, there are men and women all over the world protecting the way we live in this wonderful country.

It felt good to mail out the cookies. I hope my friend's son enjoys them.

Some wonderful stories of people sending cookies to our troupes:
Operation Baking Gals ships cookies to soldiers: Military Notes

Send Our Soldiers (SOS) Cookies

Adopt a soldier