Mona Norris:  

June 5, 2023 My life since high school: Hi! I joined the Air Force after graduating Joe T. in 1970 and went to basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX, then technical training for Administrative Specialist at Keesler AFB, Bilouxi, MS. Finally got to go home on leave before being stationed at Tyndall AFB, Panama City Beach, FL for 3 years. Not a bad place for a skinny 18 yr old who loves the sun! I was assigned to the Security Police Squadron as file clerk/typist. I met my first husband at Tyndall, took leave to Thailand to marry him after he received orders. Then I put in for join spouse orders and served a year in Thailand starting Sept, '73. It was scary sometimes living in a foreign country that was at war, especially since we lived off base at first. We did manage to visit Bangkok twice and the mountains of northern Thailand once. We returned to the states Sept. '74, then I got out of the AF because my tour of duty was up. Jerry was then stationed at Eglin AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, where my daughter, Wenona, was born in 1975. He was an alcoholic, smoked pot a lot, and was abusive. He left me for another woman and we divorced in 1976. I moved back to PC Beach to attend Gulf Coast Community College using the GI Bill. I spent a lot of time enjoying the beach with Wenona. My mother had moved in with me to take care of Wenona while I went to school full-time. Majored in Fine Arts, received AA degree, moved back home to Little Rock in 1978. Worked at UALR registrar's office for a year before going to school there for 2 years. I hurt my back carrying 50 lbs. clay from the UALR bookstore to the Fine Arts bldg., so dropped out my last semester. Need to complete 15 more hours to earn a B.A. but don't really feel a need to get it since I can stay very busy drawing and painting portraits already. I remarried in Feb. 1990, after dating Phillip for 5 years. We were married for 10 1/2 years. We've been divorced for 14 years, dating for the last 10, then remarried Phillip on in May, 2015. I sincerely believe we would've stayed married the first time if we had gone for couples counseling. We need to fix up his house and get rid of a LOT of stuff (he and I both) before I can move back in. Phillip recently retired from the railroad and we plan to travel America sometime in the near future, probably just a week or two at a time. My mother died unexpectedly in Dec 2010 after living in a local nursing home for 4 years. We were very close and I still miss her a lot. My daughter lives in Benton, is buying an old house and working part-time after being terminated from a full-time job at which she worked 9 years. She doesn't make much money now and has no car so we car pool. Wenona is introverted like I used to be, is a homebody and doesn't socialize much. She spends a lot of time on the computer and reading research, mostly about the Venus Project, natural health, environmental issues, resource based economy (RBE), and Zeitgeist movement. I recently paid the registration fee so Wenona can take an online course to become a health/weight-loss coach. I used to stay busy with work/family, made extra money doing commissioned portraits and sewing...Expand for more