As the days of thanksgiving and celebrations draw closer,
thoughts often center upon our family, children, or friends whom we
will not be able to see. Some are deployed on foreign soil, some
are in college or employed far away and some live in other
countries. Here’s a few fun and inexpensive ways to let them know
you care. This list was generated as a military personnel survival
kit, so make changes, deletions and additions where needed.
As the days of thanksgiving and celebrations draw closer, thoughts often center upon our family, children, or friends whom we will not be able to see. Some are deployed on foreign soil, some are in college or employed far away and some live in other countries. Here’s a few fun and inexpensive ways to let them know you care. This list was generated as a military personnel survival kit, so make changes, deletions and additions where needed.
A roll of Lifesavers candy to remind you that is what you are. A Mounds candy bar so you always remember the mounds of love and support from family and friends. A favorite pack of chewing gum to help your unit stick together.
A few cotton balls to help cushion the rough roads you might encounter. A piece of string for when you reach the end of your rope. A shiny penny, to remind you that each of us shines in our own way – and a small love note would go nicely with this. A paperclip to help you hold it all together, when it feels like it is falling apart. A Hershey’s Hug to let you know there’s always someone on your side. A Hershey’s Kiss, so you will always remember how much you are loved. A mint to let you know you are worth a mint to me. A candle to light up the darkness, a Tootsie Roll to help you roll with the punches. A Jolly Rancher to remind you to laugh long, hard, and sometimes even at yourself.
Daylight savings time is also called “summer time.” It is a method of advancing clocks in a global manner, in order to artificially expand the daylight hours. Set your clocks back one hour at bedtime Saturday Oct. 25 so you are on time for services or appointments on Sunday Oct. 26. This is also an opportune time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and emergency flashlights in your cars and home.
Fall is also my favorite time of year, with its crisp, cool weather, an amazing offering of bountiful flowers and the promise of wonderful times of gatherings and memory makings.
Veterans Days observances will be held at our downtown memorial at 9 a.m., Monday, Nov. 11, at Monterey Road and First Street. Again our community thanks Eddie Bowers for his dedication to this ceremony which has been held for 12 years. We also wish Eddie a safe journey back to Vietnam.
Nov.10, is the 228th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and every Marine around the world will be served a piece of birthday cake. Festivities ranging from formal balls to small cake cutting ceremonies happen a week before and a week after. Here in Morgan Hill, a group of former Marines and serving Marines have invited all friends, families and supporters of all branches of the military to a USMC birthday celebration on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Holiday Inn Express on Condit Road from 1-4 p.m. Dress will be casual, donations accepted and questions can be directed to Sgt. Meinhart at 848-1275. Cake, coffee, a no host bar and lots of tall tales will be the order of the day.
Vials of life are available through our community action group -CAG. A Vial of life allows paramedics to access medical information concerning medication, medical conditions and advanced directives as well as names of those who should be notified promptly in an emergency. A Vial is stored in the refrigerator and a red sticker is placed on the front of the fridge to alert medical personnel that the information vial is inside. Knowing about a patient’s medical condition can sometimes mean the difference between life and death when minutes are precious. Give CAG a call at 776-1808 to arrange pickup.
In closing, here are a few things to ponder, when you feel life has not turned out the way it you feel it should. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are set apart from 500 million other people in the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 percent of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8 percent of the world’s wealthy.
If you can read these words, you are more blessed than two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
How very blessed we are. Until next time, Do all the good you can, by all the means you can. In all the ways you can, in all the places you can. At all the times you can, to all the people in can, as long as ever you can.
Mary Ellen Salzano is a Realtor for Century 21 Premier. She lives in Morgan Hill with her husband and two children. She also is a library commissioner. Her columns are published the third or fourth Friday of the month. Contact her at ma***************@***oo.com
