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Yesterday I was in San Diego for the launch of the Blue Star Museums program, a partnership we’re doing with Blue Star Families and more than 600 museums across the U.S. to give museum admission free to active duty military families over the summer. It’s a perfect way for the museums and for us to say thanks to the servicemen and women.

by Sophia Raday

In a very un-scientific survey, I asked kids around the country what Memorial Day meant to them:

"Memorial day is about playing games, resting, and celebrating the Lincoln memorial too." — Boy, 8, Montana

On Monday I had the opportunity to attend the launch of Blue Star Museums, a program giving free admission to participating museums for military families.  The program is a partnership between Blue Star Families, the National Endowmen for the Arts and more than 600 museums.

Today, Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts are launching a new program giving military families free admission to more than 600 museums across the country this summer.

The program, Blue Star Museums, will offer free admission at participating museums from Memorial Day through Labor Day this summer.

I get tired of filling out surveys. I appreciate the military wanting feedback, but most of the time it seems like all of my answers are just going into a giant black hole. When my son had problems during my husband's last deployment, I sent back my Medac survey with extra pages, just to talk about my difficulties getting help. Nothing. If you fill out this survey, not only will every answer be read, but the information will be passed directly to people in power.

We have had my husband home for a couple of weeks now from his year-long deployment to Iraq and are towards the end of the “honeymoon phase.” The honeymoon phase is so named because, well, it’s almost like the euphoria one has immediately following a marriage. Colors are brighter, small things don’t bother you and everything is perfect because you are hopelessly, dumbfoundedly, blissfully in love.

One lesson I’ve learned in my eight year marriage to the military is to use a pencil when marking dates on the calendar. Plans change too frequently to use permanent ink. Nothing is permanent in the military. But unfortunately, there are some occasions that can’t be erased from the calendar, events that can’t be postponed and penciled in at a later date. And when your husband is deployed, it’s those indelible events, those unchanging holidays, those missed moments that blatantly stand out because he won’t be home to share them.

Earlier this week, Congressman Bill Owens joined Blue Star Families in celebrating Armed Forces Day by hosting a book donation event benefiting local military families. Books on Bases, Smiles on Faces brings the joy of reading to military children by donating new books to military-impacted libraries and schools, and providing individual kids with books of their own. Books donated free of charge by Owens came from the Library of Congress and were considered surplus.

by Cachet B. Prescott, MA, MSCCN Training & Development Volunteer

Ahhhh…the interview is finally over. Now, it’s time to kick back, relax, and wait for the “You’ve Got the Job” phone call, right? WRONG! And so the process continues, and you still have some work to do to prove that you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Over the Memorial Day Weekend, Six Flags is offering everyone the kids rate for admission to its parks.  To redeem the rate, you can simply print out this coupon or go to SixFlags.com and enter the promo code TRIBUTE.

For every coupon redeemed, Six Flags will donate $1 to Beyond Tribute.  Visit BeyondTribute.org to help wounded veterans and their families.

This great deal is available for everyone, military or civilian, but it's only good from Friday May 28 to Monday May 30, 2010.