We have a different perspective

This is Veteran’s Day. It is the day we support the men and women who serve our country. No matter where or how they served, they served. It does not matter if we support the cause, but we need to support the people as our local Veteran’s Council President, Lori Grenfell, stated at our local Veteran’s Day service.

As military families, we are thankful for our military members’ service every day, but do we realize how different our perspective is compared to the civilian world? I am reminded of this fact every year at this event when I look around at the dwindling crowd of attendees and World War II and Korean War veterans. I am grateful for the people who do show up to thank these honorable people. I am not saying that the civilian population is lacking for not always thinking of the men and women who serve. That is what Veteran’s Day is for, to remind them. I just want to point out that we are different as military families. We support our troops directly every day, even when our active duty member retires or leaves the military. We cannot help but take it personally when something like the Cole or Fort Hood happens. We know people who were directly affected by the event, and even if we do not, our family was affected – the military family.

So on this day of remembrance, I want to thank not only the military veterans and the active duty members of our armed forces, but the families and spouses of those who serve or have served. We serve our country, too. My husband retired this past July of 2009. As I told my son when he said we used to be a military family, we will always be a military family.

Thank you to all of those who served and to all of those (us) who support them.

Rosemary

New Heroes for High Hopes Program

Introduced this Summer! In addition to our regular summer programs, High Hopes is pleased to announce we are actively developing an eight-week summer program to serve veterans called Heroes for High Hopes. Our goal is to improve the lives of service men and women who have suffered emotionally or from physical injury while serving their country. It is our hope that through a variety of Equine Assisted Activities at High Hopes, including riding, carriage driving and stable management, they may benefit physically, gain confidence and experience the warmth of the human animal bond provided through our equine friends.

A recent Needs Assessment conducted by Donna Latella, High Hopes Instructor & Occupational Therapist, identified at least one state Veterans Home that would like to participate in the program. Please contact us if you know a veteran who may benefit from this service, would like to volunteer, or have a contact within the military20that may assist us in spreading the news of this program.

For more information or questions regarding any of these programs, please contact Jeanna Pellino, Program Director at 860-434-1974, x16 or jpellino@highhopestr.org.

Share Your Good Wishes With Our Troops This Holiday

Someone sent me the email that goes around every year about sending cards to recovering soldiers. I had heard that Walter Reed could not accept cards or packages in the past, so this year I decided to investigate a bit. The following is what I found posted on the American Red Cross Website. Follow the simple guidelines and you can cheer a few service members during their holidays at the hospital.

From the American Red Cross website:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

From the front lines to the home front, the American Red Cross provides service members, their families and veterans with the care and assistance they need.

The Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes this holiday season for the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. For the second year in a row, we’re collecting holiday cards to distribute to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world. Pitney Bowes is generously donating technology, resources and postage to make this holiday card program possible.

Our goal is to collect and distribute one million holiday cards to spread holiday cheer and facilitate thanks to these brave individuals and families.

Please send cards to this address, following the guidelines listed below:

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

You can also:

• Download and print a free card.
• Learn about other ways to participate.
• Get the latest news about Holiday Mail for Heroes.
• Watch a video from Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet Members, Dr. Phil and Nancy O'Dell.

Card Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.

• All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.
• Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope or postage.
• Please ensure that all cards are signed.
• Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.
• Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.

Where to Send Phone Cards, Gift Cards and Care Packages:

Phone cards or gift cards will not be accepted with the holiday cards. Those wishing to send calling cards or gift cards/certificates should go to http://www.aafes.com/, scroll down to "AAFES Community Connection" and click on "Help Our Troops Call Home" or "Gift Cards/Certificates for Our Troops" in order to send such items.

No 'Care Packages' will be accepted at this address. Those wishing to send care packages should go to http://www.americasupportsyou.com/ and click under "Homefront Groups" to find out how to send care packages.

My Business Has A Name

Thank you to everyone who participated in helping me name my business. Unfortunately, the person who came up with the perfect name already has one of my books. In fact, it’s dedicated to him! My husband, Alan, came up with the name when I asked him if he was thinking about it. When he told me he could not read my blog because it was blocked at work, I filled him in. He said, “How about A Word Or Two,” and I jumped. I loved it and thought it was the perfect name for a writing business.

So, that is the new name: A Word Or Two. I will get to work on my collateral materials, send out a press release, and what I have been doing for years will no longer be a sole proprietorship, but an LLC.

While waiting for my tax number, I had to start scheduling next semester’s round of adult education classes. I teach The Business of Freelance Writing, and Write Your Novel. The first is about the mechanics of making a living as a freelance writer such as the things you need to have in place, the way to get jobs, etc. The Novel class is the way I personally organize things when I write a novel. I am very good at researching using the internet and many other writing-related skills.

What other courses might be of interest to my students?

If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. It is always rewarding meeting new writers and helping them along their journey to publication. I would love to know if there is anything I am missing.

While I wait for your wisdom, here are a few tidbits for you.

When you are making out your Holiday card list this year, please include the following:

Cards for our American service members. (Remember, they are not all soldiers, but other service members as well.)

A Recovering American Armed Service Member
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

Aqua Dot Recallhttp://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4f76018a-9856-485c-962f-8ffb2bd67ca4

It seems the little "dots" can turn into a deadly substance if kids put them in their mouths. Mine will remain hidden until they figure this one out.

National Novel Writers Month
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I signed up, but have no written a word of my book yet. It is SO not going to happen, but I thought I would let readers know about it. Perhaps you can consider it for next year.

Have a happy and productive week!

Marrying The Family

I am on the hunt for blended military families. I want to know how they did it, what challenges they faced which were specific to military families, and any tips they may have for those trying to blend families with children while serving in the military. Do you know anyone? Send me their name and e-mail, but make sure to check with them first, and they may be featured in an article I am working on for a military-friendly publication. They can also be quoted anonymously if they prefer. It’s up to them. I just need to honest, direct information from those who have been through this challenging situation.

Blending a family has to be difficult enough, but when combined with a military lifestyle, I cannot imagine it. With the frequent moves, deployments, and general demands of being part of a military family, children have a lot to deal with it. Add to it that mom or dad is marrying a member of the military, and all bets are off.

So if you can help, please contact me. I would like to produce an honest, informative article that may also help others. While you're looking for that e-mail address, check out 4 Military Families. It's a great site dedicated to informing the military spouse.

To all of our service members, military spouses, families, and veterans: thank you for your service to our country.