Some new friends have joined us here at "Standing By" in the past few weeks, so I thought it might be a good time to welcome them and talk a little about what we do here.

The old-timers out there, the ones who followed me Florida, know that we have very few rules.

Actually, there are no rules.

I started "Standing By" for two reasons: To give civilians a glimpse of military life, and to provide a forum for those of us with a loved one who serves.

The blog served as my own personal support group while Mark was deployed, and while I have only met a few of the regular readers I consider many of them to be close friends.

The best part is the ongoing conversations we have about anything and everything. No topic is off limits and all viewpoints are welcome.

Comments are the fuel that make this engine run. Make them often and be sure to check back on previous posts for new ones. I try to respond to everyone, but sometimes it takes me a day or two.

If you want to say something not in a public forum, send me an e-mail. I consider all e-mail messages confidential, unless you give me permission to print their contents. That goes for your "real" name and other personal information that you might share in an e-mail or if we happen to meet in person.

And while I love talking about myself - I have a big ego - I'd also like to share your stories. Feel free to send me personal accounts of your own experiences, or ideas that you might have for future posts. Questions are always welcome, too.

The more people who join us the better, so please spread the word and share this link with everyone you know. This blog is for you, and for us. I appreciate all of you who take the time to stop by.

Thanks.

As always, I love reading your blog. Happy Monday!

Thanks, carolmac. And I probably should have mentioned that you'll some changes to this page soon, probably in the next few days, as The Mercury upgrades its site and adds some enhancement to the blog.

I'm with carolmac on this one too... I absolutely adore your blog and share it every chance I get!

Thanks, BabyGirl. I really appreciate your loyalty, and always enjoy talking with you. We'll start up the "Army Wives" live chat again when the new season starts. I'll try to find out when that is, but I'm guessing April or May?

I've become more of a lurker these days. But didn't want you to think I wasn't out here. Glad to hear about the updates. One suggestion would be for the time of posts to be added. I know at the Times that was a good addition. Gives a point of reference as to whether any one is around at the time we may be reading.

Kathryn - the new site doesn't do that, but i'll try to remember to add it at the top of each post. That's a great suggestion!