My grandson singing cards for soldiers

It’s that time of the year again!! And this is the third year I’ve been involved helping to promote the Holiday Mail For Heroes program sponsored by The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes. Every year I sit down with my grandson (now 7) and write notes and sign Holiday cards for our soldiers who are deployed or recovering in hospitals like Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

What could be more heartfelt than to receive a hand written heartfelt card from someone who really appreciates what you do. Let’s thank those soldiers!

The program started September 3rd and all cards must be postmarked buy December 10, 2010 so we need to get on this! Do it today!

The 2010 Holiday Mail for Heroes P.O. Box is now open! Please send cards to the address below. Remember they must be postmarked by December 10, 2010.

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD
20791-5456

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes needs your help to make this year’s program the best yet. As you start your card-making activities, don’t forget to follow these important tips!

Do…

Include your heartfelt sentiments and sign all cards
Entitle cards with generic terms such as “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes

Don’t…

Send letters, care packages or monetary gifts
Include personal information such as home or email addresses
Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

Amy Grant’s holiday card design

This year, we are thrilled to welcome back celebrity cabinet member Amy Grant. Amy will once again be joining us for our special kick-off and card signing event on November 11th, Veteran’s Day.

Amy and several other celebrity cabinet members also collaborated with us this year to create custom holiday cards that you can purchase (a $25 donation to our Service to the Armed Forces) and send to the Holiday Mail mailbox as well as to your friends and family. Check out designs from Dr. Phil, Miley Cyrus, and Jane Seymour!

You can also contribute more than just cards. Our holiday gift catalog lists several different contributions you can make to provide much-needed items for service members, such as phone cards and “comfort kits”.

You can get more information at The American Red Cross Blog

Let’s get this done!!

I have always been interested in how things evolve. That includes why are certain holiday traditions observed and coveted. Halloween is no exception. Halloween has become one the the the most popular Holidays in the United States. It is celebrated by children and adults alike and is second only to Christmas in popularity. The current Halloween holiday is a far cry from it’s odd beginnings. Halloween is the result of the combination of several ancient holidays and traditions. I’m sure the candy manufacturers have had a huge hand in current traditions as well!

Halloween, is one of the world’s oldest holidays and is still celebrated in several countries around the globe. The autumn rite is commemorated in the United Kingdom, although with a surprising and distinctive British twist such as the Lighting of the Witches. In Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, All Souls’ Day, the third day of the three-day Hallowmas observance, is the most important part of the celebration for many people. In Ireland and Canada, Halloween, which was once a frightening and superstitious time of year, is celebrated much as it is in the United States, with trick-or-treating, costume parties, and fun for all ages.

The word itself, “Halloween,” actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, “All Hollows Day” (or “All Saints Day”), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was a harvest festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in), which means “end of summer” or the last day of the Celtic calender.

Trick for Treat

The custom of trick or treating probably has several origins. During Samhain, the Druids believed the dead would play tricks on mankind and cause panic and destruction. They had to be appeased, so country folk would give the Druids food as they visited their homes.

An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, breadcake, cheese, eggs, butter, apples, etc., in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill.

Also a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes” made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul’s passage to heaven.

A traditional food eaten on Halloween is barnbrack, a kind of fruitcake that can be bought in stores or baked at home. A muslin-wrapped treat is baked inside the cake that, it is said, can foretell the eater’s future. If a ring is found, it means that the person will soon be wed; a piece of straw means that a prosperous year is on its way.

The TRICK part of “Trick or Treat” has be attributed to Mischief Night. Mischief night or Gate night or Cabbage Night (also known as Devil’s Night, Cabbage Night and Mizzy Night in some areas) is an annual tradition in parts of England, Canada, and the United States; a night when the custom is for people (primarily teenagers and preteens) to take a degree of license to play pranks and do mischief to their neighbors. The most common date for mischief night is November 4th however October 30, the day before Halloween is becoming more popular.

Halloween Masquerade Mask

Dogs are easy to dress up. I want to know how many stitches these people got trying to defile the dignity of these cats!

Modern day Halloween costumes range from the cute and scary for kids to the silly, scary and vampy for adults. We even subjects our pets to to costumes and make them beg for the coveted chocolate bars! From earliest times people wore masks when droughts or other disasters struck. They believed that the demons who had brought their misfortune upon them would become frightened off by the hideous masks. Even after the festival of Samhain had merged with Halloween, Europeans felt uneasy at this time of the year. Food was stored in preparation for the winter and the house was snug and warm. The cold, envious ghosts were outside, and people who went out after dark often wore masks to keep from being recognized.

Jack O’Lanterns

Irish children used to carve out potatoes or turnips and light them for their Halloween gatherings. They commemorated Jack, a shifty Irish villain so wicked that neither God nor the Devil wanted him. Rejected by both the sacred and profane, he wandered the world endlessly looking for a place to rest.People in Ireland, Scotland and England began to carve scary faces into turnips, potatoes and beets. They would place them in windows and doorways to frighten away the roaming ghost of Stingy Jack and other wandering spirits.

When immigrants from these countries came to America, they brought the Jack O’Lantern tradition with them. Here they quickly discovered what you already know; pumpkins make perfect Jack O’Lanterns! You can read more about about Jack HERE.

The Irish Potato Famine (1845-50) prompted over 700,000 people to immigrate to the Americas. These immigrants brought they brought the Jack O’Lantern tradition with them, but turnips were not as readily available as back home. They found the American pumpkin to be a more than an adequate replacement. Today, the carved pumpkin is perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday.

Pumpkin Facts

• In 1584, after French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of North America, he reported finding “gros melons.” The name was translated into English as “pompions,” which has since evolved into the modern “pumpkin.”
• Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere.
• Pumpkins are fruits. A pumpkin is a type of squash and is a member of the gourd family (Cucurbitacae), which include squash, cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.
• Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the middle of June. They take between 90 and 120 days to grow and are picked in October when they are bright orange in color. Their seeds can be saved to grow new pumpkins the next year.
• 2010 brings a new World Record! In what has become an annual event, the world record has fallen once more. The largest pumpkin ever grown stands at 1,810.5 pounds. It was grown by Chris Stevens of New Richmond, Wisconsin. It was weighed at the Stillwater Harvest fest in Stillwater, Minnesota, on October 9, 2010.

Bobbing for Apples

When the Celts were absorbed by the Roman Empire, many rituals of Roman origin began. Among them was the worship of Pomona, goddess of the harvest, often portrayed sitting on a basket of fruits and flowers. Apples were the sacred fruit of the goddess, and many games of divination involving them entered the Samhain customs.

The Witch’s Broomstick

The witch is a central symbol of Halloween. The name comes from the Saxon wica, meaning wise one. When setting out for a Sabbath, witches rubbed a sacred ointment onto their skin. This gave them a feeling of flying, and if they had been fasting they felt even giddier. Some witches rode on horseback, but poor witches went on foot and carried a broom or a pole to aid in vaulting over streams. In England when new witches were initiated they were often blindfolded, smeared with flying ointment and placed on a broomstick. The ointment would confuse the mind, speed up the pulse and numb the feet. When they were told “You are flying over land and sea,” the witch took their word for it.

Here are some Halloween safety trips to consider

NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE. DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY!!

Halloween Costume Safety Tips

• Wear flame retardant costumes.
• Make sure your Halloween costume is colorfast so the color doesn’t run onto your other clothes if it rains.
• Try on costumes before Halloween to allow time for altering.
• Hem your costumes so you don’t trip and fall.
• Apply reflective tape to your Halloween costumes.
• Avoid cumbersome masks. Use make-up instead.
• Use only hypoallergenic and non-toxic makeup.
• Wear comfortable, practical shoes.
• Double tie your shoelaces so you don’t trip.
• Keep your costume and wig away from candles.
• Don’t carry fake swords, guns, knives or similar accessories that look authentic. Make sure they’re flexible and cannot harm anyone.

Trick-or-Treating Tips

• Plan your route ahead of time.
• Trick or treat in familiar neighborhoods.
• Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries after dark.
• Take along money for a phone call.
• Wear identification that’s easy to read.
• Always trick or treat in groups, accompanied by an adult.
• Follow a curfew and take a watch with a backlight.
• Stay on the sidewalks and out of the streets. Cross only at intersections and designated crosswalks.
• Walk. No running.
• Don’t trample through flower beds and gardens.
• Watch out for open flames in jack-o-Lanterns.
• Walk with your head up and be aware of your surroundings.
• Only visit well lit houses. Don’t stop at dark houses.
• Don’t enter any houses unless you know the people.
• Carry a spare Halloween bag, in case yours breaks or you fill your original one.
• Don’t approach unfamiliar pets and animals.
• Don’t cut across yards and stay out of backyards.
• Follow traffic signals and don’t jaywalk.
• Always watch for cars backing up or turning.
• Review the “stop, drop and roll” procedure in case your costume catches on fire.
• Never accept rides from strangers.
• Respect other people and their property.
• Be polite and say “thank you.”
• Don’t eat any candy until it’s inspected for tampering under bright lights.
• Avoid candy that has loose wrappings, is unwrapped, has puncture holes, or is homemade.
• Small children should not be allowed hard candy they may choke on.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to an adult or the police.
• Consider having a party instead of Trick or Treating.

NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE. DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY!!

Tiffany And Ethan At The Prison

When I tell people my daughter Tiffany is in prison, I normally get an “Oh….I’m so sorry”.  I just respond, “Don’t be sorry. It’s OK….I’m thankful Tiff’s in prison.” That usually earns me an odd look.

But it’s true.

I am very thankful for those weekly 100 mile round trips to the prison to sit in a visiting room crowded with inmates, some who have committed truly unthinkable crimes.

I am very thankful for those phone calls from Tiffany that always seem to come when I am busy doing something else or just don’t feel like talking.

I am very thankful for those insane conversations about how bad things are in prison or how weird her “cellee” is.

I am very thankful she was pregnant when she was arrested.

I am very thankful she is in prison so I can now raise  my other grandson Keelen.

I am very thankful she got 70 months.

I can hear it now. “Girl…you have lost your freakin’ mind! How can you be thankful for that?”

Well….every week I get see my daughter. I get to hug her and give her a kiss and I get to watch Keelen play games and read stories with his mom.

I get talk to Tiffany almost every night on the phone and Keelen gets to tell his mom about his day.

I get to watch Tiffany grow from a “wannabe” street thug into the amazing woman that I always knew she was with no interest in a life of crime.

I got to watch Tiffany give birth to a healthy baby boy, my second grandchild Ethan and in a selfless act of love give him to an amazing deserving adoptive couple that will raise him to know both his moms.

I know that Keelen is safe and well cared for and gets to have a relationship with both his mom and dad.
It is going to take the full 70 months for Tiffany to break this destructive cycle of drugs and unhealthy men.

Plus the brains behind this crime got 136 months. And if the person he assaulted had died, Tiffany could be doing life!! So…WOO HOO only 70 months!!

There are many many parents with children that were traveling down the same path as Tiffany. And they now have to visit their children in the cemetery. So, yes…I am very thankful Tiffany is in prison.

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving

Debbie

I am trying to teach Keelen that Christmas is really about “giving” not “getting”. Last year Keelen and I bought a toy for “Toys For Tots”. I let him pick it out. At four, I don’t think he really understood the whole concept and he had a hard time letting it go and putting it in the collection box.

This year I have been talking about it for awhile. In an effort to teach him the art of giving and caring, this is our list of things to do:

1. Buy a couple nice toys for “Toy For Tots”. (And put them in the box without crying.)

2. Donate food to our local food bank. I kind of look at this a a food savings account. You never know when we might have to make a withdrawal.

3. Sending Christmas cards and needed items to our soldiers. He just sat down and signed “Love Keelen” on 30 Christmas Cards. Click HERE to see more. (photo above)

4. Donating socks to the “Sock Drive” at the prison. It’s for the homeless not the prisoners. Actually, the prisoners have to buy their own socks.

I’m sure I can come up with something else before the “giving” season is over. Actually, the giving season should never be over.

And it’s not “gimme, gimme, gimme”. It’s “give, give, give”. There’s a big difference.

I think I have my work cut out for me.

Debbie