Thank Our Troops, Post a Message on NEW Online Banner

Honor Veterans Nov. 11th, Honor our Troops Now

Riding in my car the other day, we had stopped at a red light. From my passenger-side window, I could see the car next to us was covered with paint and writing. Natural curiosity led me to begin reading the large colored letters. No sooner did I read the first couple of letters, when I noticed that the driver of the car, a middle-aged woman, was waving frantically to me and pointing to the person in her passenger seat. I quickly finished reading the side of her car just in time to realize that the person seated next to her was indeed the subject of the painted message.

It turns out that the writing was a celebratory announcement. It read, "USMC COMBAT SOLDIER. HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN!!!" I immediately understood that the driver was pointing to a young man in his dress "blues" uniform. I looked at him and then saw he too was waving cheerfully to me.

This brief exchange at a traffic light, suddenly transported me from my daily routine into another reality-- much larger and perhaps more substantial than my own. Subconsciously, in the few seconds that remained before the light changed, I managed to wave back and mouth the words, "Thank you." Then we drove off ending the encounter as quickly as it had begun.

My immediate proceeding thoughts were to realize that this woman had just returned from the airport. That her time of incredible sacrifice had just now ended with her son being back home. I had begun to consider how his life had been spared and how the duration of his enlistment had brought this mother to her present joy and gratitude for his safe return. And it seems that I, for whatever reason, had been able to share in their triumphal experience.

So I started to think... how long must this woman have waited for such a moment-- not knowing if she would ever see her son again? Looking at that gentleman sitting tall in his dark blue Marines' uniform with his white gloved hand waving to me-- the irony was almost too much for me to bear. He was waving at me-- this man who had daily laid his life on the line to protect, to serve, and to honor his country; who had sacrificed all, forsaking everything he had known; who had endured the difficulties of combat in an undesirable region, all the while shouldering the burden of an unpopular war from some of his own countrymen.

In turn, I managed to utter "Thank you."--- Yet these two simple words can hardly express the depth of my gratitude for the sacrifices of the military and their families.

Appropriately, a recent news headline reads... The Blessings Banner Launches to Post Free Messages to Our Troops to Thank Them for Their Service

"The Blessings Banner is a new web site created to thank members of our armed services serving far away from home by providing users with the chance to post a message to them for free. It is available to anyone with Web access. Visitors to the site can both post and read the messages to the troops. The troops also will be able to read the messages online. Eventually, the postings will be printed onto a banner and delivered to the troops overseas."

Thank The Troops Blessings Banner

As we celebrate Veteran's Day on November 11th, let us always remember to appreciate our Veterans for their awesome sacrifice and service to our country. Let us also take a moment to express our appreciation to those who are currently serving. Our military troops at this very instant desperately need to feel encouraged and appreciated.

Truthfully, my traffic light event made it all the more clear that the time and energy it would take to utter (or type) a "thank you" is of the minutest effort, and one that is so utterly incomparable to the sacrifice being made by countless members of our military each and every day.

Beware of Tainted Halloween Candy

Chocolate coins sold in Canada tainted with melamine

"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to eat, distribute or sell Sherwood brand Pirate's Gold milk chocolate coins imported from China.
The candy is being recalled after testing positive for the industrial chemical melamine. Canada doesn't allow the use of melamine as a food ingredient.
The candy is sold in 840-gram containers containing 240 pieces per container. They bear the designation UPC 0 36077 11240 7 and the lot code 1928S1.

The candy is sold across Canada by Costco and may also have been sold in bulk packages or as individual pieces at various dollar and bulk stores across Canada.

"Although the health risk associated with these products is considered low, the federal advisory was issued after an investigation into milk and milk-derived products from China that may have reached Canadian store shelves."

For years, there have been concerns surrounding the consumption of Halloween Candy, after various incidents and scares perpetrated by individuals and their depraved desire to poison the candy of little children.

Now add the sub-standard production and inferior inspection guidelines of countries such as China to the list of cautions concerning Halloween Candy.

Best bet? Forget the candy- it just rots their teeth, anyway. Give the kids a nice, juicy pear instead. To my knowledge (but better check first), pears are still safe to eat.

Going Green for the Holidays

Holiday Shoppers "Go Green"

"The best gifts this Holiday season come in "green" packages. New consumer shopping trends indicate that while Americans are tightening their wallets, they are more willing to spend money on gifts that give-back this Holiday season. Tread Light Gifts, a new Seattle-based online gift store is proving that consumers can have it all by supplying eco-chic gifts that are made from environmentally-friendly products. Even better, one-percent of gross revenues will be donated to environmental organizations approved by the 1% For The Planet organization.

'Now more than ever, consumers want to feel good about every dollar they spend,' says Tracy Oklander Anderson, owner of Tread Light Gifts. 'Since launching our online gift shop in August, we've seen sales steadily increase as consumers focus their attention on the small steps they can take to help the environment without sacrificing style'.

All gifts are either organic, recycled, sustainably produced, fair-trade or manufactured by companies who contribute back to the earth or their communities. In addition, many of the gift kits are packaged in 100% organic cotton totes, unlike traditional gift baskets which use straw, wood, or plastic baskets, and come with a no-waste, plantable gift tag that will bear beautiful wildflowers."

This comes as a pleasant and positive indication that consumers are demanding a higher quality of product and merchandising. And what's great is that companies, like Tread Light Gifts are listening. With continual reports of tainted and inferior products coming out of China, which are not only harmful to the earth, but to animals and humans, as well-- purposefully natural products certainly make the better alternative.

As we plan our gift-giving this holiday season, it's good to know that there is yet another option available to celebrate-- while making a contribution to the environment. Why not consider Green gifts under the tree this year?

Headaches Boom As The Holidays Approach In Uncertain Economic Times

"Studies show people get more headaches between October and January due to the stress of the holiday season. This year, people are feeling more stress than ever thanks to the recent plunge in the economy. While normal holiday activities always prove to be stressful and tiring, the uncertain 2008 season is guaranteed to give consumers more headaches than past years. "

"Most Americans plan to cut back on spending this season, thus increasing feelings of anxiety and depression which according to experts, leads to a variety of health problems including headaches.

Economic Headaches Abound "There's so much going on during the holidays, and every year the season starts earlier and earlier. This year people have less money to spend and the pressure is intense. We've already seen a huge spike in our Sinus Buster headache sales, and the holiday season has just begun", says Wayne Perry, Director of Innovation for SiCap, LLC, a company that specializes in natural headache and sinus remedies. "

As pressure and headaches increase over the next few months, there may be a subtle silver lining to these gray clouds. With so much busyness, sleep deprivation, poor eating, and over-consumption of alcohol, a co-erced respite from the mounting anxiety and stressfulness that the holidays can bring may prove to be more beneficial than we realize.

According to the National Headache Foundation, many holiday headaches can be avoided by getting enough sleep, limiting social activities, and not overindulging in food or alcohol.Instead of the holidays and the economy causing additional stress, a different outlook could sweeten this sour seasonal sentiment. With less spending money for gifts and holiday trimmings, "time" may be the often over-looked asset that can prove valuable when spending it with family and friends. Additionally, our time normally spent in shopping frenzies and gift exchanges can perhaps be replaced with some much needed rest and stillness. More of our time can be used for re-charging our minds, bodies, and spirits.

The volatile economy can help foster a wide-spread change of focus from materialism and consumerism to time-honored notions of good deeds and service to others.

While cutting back and slowing down may not be the normal modus operandi for our fast-food, express lane, society on the go; it seems that, at the very least, we may be able to avoid one or two less headaches. And at the very most, a conscious mindset of peacefulness, contentment, and ministering to the needs of others could contribute to making this year's holiday seasons one of the brightest and most rewarding of all.

Looking at Halloween Decorations in Stores

When it comes to Halloween and its merchandising; it just seems to be getting a little out of hand. I remember when I was a kid. We wore our Planet of the Apes and Fred Flintstone costumes and carried our pumpkin baskets to trick or treat. If you went into stores in October when I was a kid, there were some Halloween decorations here and there. Maybe you would see a black cat or a witch riding on a broomstick. Perhaps there would be a glowing jack-o-lantern or even a hanging ghost.

But now- look out! Especially small children. And that’s one of the reasons why I say enough is enough. It seems that every store from the drug store to the supermarket to the retail stores have all gotten into the Halloween spirit--and it is not necessarily a pleasant one.
When did Halloween decorations and merchandise switch from being a holiday of fun for children to a celebration of everything grotesque, gruesome, and morbid?

The horror on display is of the same genre of R-rated films that are supposed to be restricted from children. This Halloween merchandise really isn’t for “all audiences”. And it’s not like you can use the same rationale as you do for undesirable television shows and just say “You don’t like the Halloween displays, don’t go shopping.”

I can’t honestly believe that the members of my family are the only ones grossed out by corpses, deformed faces, and blood-curdling screams. Not to mention all of the moving displays that seem to draw in the attention of passers-by (like young children). And I know that I can explain to my children that the rotting corpse hanging from the ceiling is not real and made of plastic. But my question is why is this all so acceptable in the first place?

Year after year, Halloween displays and products become more and more gruesome and we all just go about our business. Isn’t this perhaps just one more negative influence on our youth and their attitudes towards violence?

I say let’s take back Halloween and make it a fun time for the children again. Let our voices be heard that the gory and hideous horror in our stores is inappropriate and many times- offensive.