Posted in accomplishments, Business, Celebration, celebrity, charity, culture, emotions, failure, Uncategorized, tagged accomplishments, AIDS, anger, business owners, celebrations, celebrities, ceremonies, charity, connections, contempt, costs, elections, envy, excess, failure, food, government, greatness, influence, international aid, jealousy, King Mswati, motivation, muscians, necessities, Opportunities, parades, political puppets, politicians, resentment, resources, royalty, shame, spending, sports figures, success, survival, Swaziland on September 7, 2008|
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I became aware of an extreme example of those who have; and, those who have not. The nation of Swaziland celebrated it’s 40th independence day as well as the King of Swazi’s 40th birthday in an ostentatious way. The King Mswati was driven around in a convertible BMW flaunting his weath in a country that is overwhelmed with extreme poverty. The nation has been devastated by the AIDS epidemic; it has the world’s highest AIDs rate. This means that many households are not able to earn enough money to provide for their families; because many households are headed up by children because of the plague of AIDs. Those homes that are affected by AIDS may not be healthy enough to work. Many individuals only get enough food to eat because of international food aid. This is a terribly sad event.
This lack of basic necessities limits the average person’s ability to influence powerful changes, in a country that desperately needs to improve it’s quality of life. In my mind, if the country has that kind of money…i have to wonder, why is the international community forced to provide food aid in the first place? Those people should be coming first, in my mind, to the King of that country… he and his family should not be living a lifestyle that feeds off of riches…while his own subjects are forced to accept help from outside countries! That should be considered shameful to the King of Swaziland and it’s officials. It is, to me, a failure to fulfill his duties to provide care for the people under his rule. (more…)
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Posted in baby, Business, Celebration, children, contest, culture, diet, entertainment, family, fathers, grandchildren, health, history, home, Impact, inspiration, kids, life, news, Patriotism, physician, pregnancy, tagged activities, America, American workers, amusement rides, Annual National Baby Food Festival, arts and crafts, babies, baby food, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, cannery, Celebration, contests, corporations, cottages, dietary, economy, entertainment, family, family values, festival, food, fruits, games, Gerber, history, hotels, Impact, Lonestar, music, Nestles, nutrition, parades, Patriotism, pediatrician, petting zoos, photos, picnics, races, restaurants, sponsors, United States, vegetables, world on July 12, 2008|
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Are you tired of trying to find family activities that you don’t have to apologize to your kids for; inevitably, many of those so called family activities, violate the very family values that you are trying to instill in your children? Well, here is an event that you won’t have to justify taking your family to.
It is the National Baby Food Festival in the Baby Food Capital of the World. Gerber baby food company is known around the world for it’s innovative production of baby foods and products; and it is celebrating in the town where it all began, Fremont, Michigan. (more…)
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Posted in armed forces, Celebration, charitable organizations, children, emotions, family, fathers, Fourth of July, grandchildren, Heart, help, Holiday, home, Honor, husband, Impact, inspiration, kids, life, loneliness, love, mental and physical health, military, mom, mother, news, Patriotism, Remembering, service, support, Time, well-being, writing for children, writing project, tagged Afghanistan, America, armed services, brothers, card making, cards, celebrate, children, country, craft projects, daughters, emotions, encouragement, family, fathers, first time, fourth of july, freedoms, friends, Holiday, honored, husband, Iraq, lonely, loved ones, make 2 tell 2, Marine Corps, military, mother, mothers, Nebraska, need, non-profit, overseas, parades, patiotism, picnics, pictures, roomate, sacrifice, Sad, school, scrapbooking, sisters, sons, support, Time, veterans on June 27, 2008|
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The countdown has begun, we have an 8 measly days to prepare for the fourth of July. How do you plan to celebrate the freedoms that you have, that were purchased by the men and women of our country’s military? All branches of the armed forces deserve to be honored. How about along with those picnics and parades, you carve out a litle time to make and send a card to thank them for their sacrifice?
Did you know that there are many service people who don’t get words of encouragement or support from anyone? Oh, alot of our military men and women have their own friends and family who are strong in their support…but some really and truly don’t. Some are lonely or sad; some are on their own, away from home for the first time. When my husband was in the Marine Corps years ago; he was blessed to have a mother who wrote to him daily, all four years of his service. My husband had a roomate who never received any cards or letters. Out of compassion, my mother-in-law sent him a letter; it moved that roomate to tears. He said to my husband…you do not know how much this means to mean to get this. It was a moment of support that that young man desperately needed. Here is a program that i heard about and loved the idea of from the very moment I heard about it. It is a non-profit organization called, Make 2 Tell 2.
The whole idea behind make2tell2 is to make two cards of encouragement, good wishes or support; and then, telling two others about the program and getting them to do the same. The organization will collect the cards and then send them on to our military personel in Afghanistan and Iraq. There isn’t much time left, we only have 8 days including today! Can you help? These are our sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers and mothers…they are sacrificing time away from their own support systems to serve our country.
How about sitting down the children who are out of school; let them unleash their creativity. By this point, the newness of being out of school for the summer has set in and they are complaining of having nothing to do. This is a great craft project for them. Once they get started they won’t want to stop. Or, do you know someone who is a scrap booker and loves to use their skills to make their own cards and such? This is a perfect project for them. Use your imagination as far as who would be willing to help…this really is a wonderful way to celebrate the fourth of July and celebrate all that we are blessed with here in America.
For those service people who are overseas…this will help them to feel appreciated and a little less alone. Here is the contact information for the program. Feel free to include your contact information, on those cards and letters if you feel led. Or if you are uncomfortable with that…make them, and just sign your name; either way, this is a great way of serving your country. It is such a small sacrifice of your time but it can have an amazing impact on someone. Make 2 Tell 2
991 Road 325
Harvard, NE 68944
I am doing this myself, with my children today…and I am asking you to do the same. Make a little time to give back to the greatest country in the world. Celebrate the veterans of yesterday, today and tomorrow…who knows…they just might be one of your very own loved ones!
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Posted in Celebration, commitment, courage, death, family, grief, Heart, Honor, life, loss, news, Patriotism, sadness, support, tagged Air Force, appreciate, Army, celebrating, cemetaries, Coast Guard, country, encourage, Field of Memories, freedom, Honor, Iraq, loss, Marines, Memorial Day, memories, military, National Guard, Navy, parades, picnics, Remembering, service, support, United States on May 26, 2008|
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Memorial Day is always a bittersweet time to me. While people are out celebrating the day with picnics and parades…others are at the cemetaries; and many are mourning their own personal losses. Each and everyone of our freedoms in the United States were purchased by the blood and sweat of a service member from the beginning of our country’s history. Our town did something unique this year with a, Field Of Memories. There was a flag and information representing each of the 92 service members, from Michigan, who lost their lives.
In this time of war with Iraq, whether you feel it is justified or not personally; i hope you found some way to honor the men and women who are committed to following through with their pledge to their branch of the service and to our country. It is always a sacrifice; but never more so, than during war. Freedom and honor don’t come cheap…many individuals gave their lives and limbs, for you and I.
Thank you to all who have served both past and present, in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, or The Marine Corps. It can never be said enough, that you are appreciated; and, your families sacrifice of time with you, is not forgotten. If you can find a way to support and encourage a military family please do so. It is a way of giving back!
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