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Small Business Saturday: November 24, 2012
I am really intrigued by this idea of “Small Business Saturday”. The premise is the Saturday after Thanksgiving you go to your local family-owned, small business stores to do your Christmas Shopping.I got this ‘chain email from my mother-in-law a couple weeks ago. Usually I immediately hit delete on chains. I get over 100 emails a day so the delete key is my friend. But this one caught my eye and hits right along the Small Business Saturday concept: As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense…
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Full of Thanks
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by far. Christmas and Easter shape my life but have become way too commercialized and, in general, we’ve lost the meaning. There’s not much pressure with Thanksgiving though. Wednesday I’ll turn the music up, bake some cookies, pies and bread. I’ll enjoy having the kids’ help once in awhile (especially with the cookie part) and then Thanksgiving, this year, we’ll head to hub’s family gathering; sixty to seventy of his closest relatives. No fuss, just family. I also love taking the time to enjoy what we are thankful for. This year, at dinner, we have gone around the table each day and said something we are thankful for. …
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Apple-Oatmeal Yeast Bread
Thanksgiving is zooming at us with rocket speed. Today might be Monday… but watch out! Thursday is coming into focus. Slow down and make some yeast bread. This recipe calls for apple cider which is prominent in the aroma. Welcome Thanksgiving week with a fresh loaf of bread. I think we all need something ‘to hold us up’ for the hard work of eatting a fantastic meal later! Oh yes, bring it on. Simple to make and bake, and totally wonderful to relax and taste the wholesome goodness of oats and apples. Yeast BreadApple-Oatmeal Bread1 c quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)¼ c packed brown sugar1 T butter 1 ½…
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Tasty Tuesday: Asparagus & Bacon Bundles
There are some foods I love. Bacon happens to be at the top of the list. Bacon makes /anything/ taste better I’m pretty convinced. (Ice cream, also at the top of that favorite list, might be the exception while I think about it.) Another favorite … crispy, fresh asparagus. I LOVE asparagus but I’m picky about it. I don’t like cold asparagus it has to be fresh off the grill, the range or the broiler. I don’t like limp asparagus either. None of the frozen, boiled stuff for me, like Mom always served at Thanksgiving, ergo I was quite convinced till recently that I hated it. Now that fresh asparagus is…
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#79 of 101 Ways to Thank a Veteran: Send a Christmas Card
Have you read 101 Ways to Thank a Veteran? They were written with Veterans Day in mind but many for all year round. 79. Remember Veterans during other holidays, especially those without family. Send a Thanksgiving card, Christmas card or Valentines card, to either a Vet that you know or through a VA Hospital or VFW.– http://www.militaryavenue.com/ways_to_thank_veteran Last night after dinner, we cleared the dishes, did our usual cleanup routine and then I pulled out the craft supplies. Glitter, paint, glue, markers, stock-paper and oh so much more Time to make Christmas Cards for a special Veteran in my life, my Grandfather (and Grandmother). They are far from family, not…
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This Army Family deserves the “Give the Gift of Good”
Vote for the Ortega’s (#4) Here“…our nominee has a great opportunity to win the $20,000 home makeover from the Foundation…” We are very excited! We have a specific mission to support our military community at MilitaryAvenue.com. Our efforts have been rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, smiles and appreciation. But today we are just ready to tell the story of one Army family and our effort to identify a military family for a home makeover from the Home Depot Foundation. The Adam and Monica Ortega familyWe have started our mission with the selection of the crew! MilitaryAvenue has reviewed all of our entries for the HD Foundation, “Give the Gift…
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Rustic Christmas Tree
I was browsing Pinterest.com last month looking for an idea to use on Thanksgiving day. Each year, after dinner the Moms and tots let the Christmas spirit enter our thoughts with a homemade project. Simplicity is number one priority, as we are tired, full under the influence of a ton of turkey and boat loads of whipped cream. Those who attend, sail to the table with languid interest, yet each expect to come out with a DaVinci masterpiece. But it is fun. It is time to laugh at ourselves, try something new, pick through beads, choose twigs (that have been pre-drilled) and create a masterpiece… or at least something tangible.…
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Christmas Traditions Decorating at Home and at Church
As the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is down to turkey salad, Christmas decorations are hauled from the closets. Boxes, cartons and plastic bins hold memories, treasures and herald the coming holiday. The last plastic bin was rifled through hoping to reveal perky Christmas towels. There on the bottom, as if an afterthought was a sheet of typed, well copied paper from Keflavik Naval Air Station’s PWOC about Christmas tree history. A paper reminder of good times, great ladies, strong values: military spouses of all services and NATO nations. Christmas Tree HistorySince the earliest days of the bringing of evergreens indoors at Christmastime has been one of the first ways of giving…
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A Thanksgiving Message from MilitaryAvenue.com
The entire MilitaryAvenue.com Team extends a happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!What are some things MilitaryAvenue is thankful for? First and foremost, we are so very thankful for the people that work so tirelessly at keeping us safe. The Marines (OORAH!) , the Soldiers (Hooah!), the Airmen (HUA!), the Coast Guard (Oorah!), the Sailors (Hooyah!). We will say a special prayer at dinner for the families that stand behind the troops; especially the spouses and the children. But we won’t leave out the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even grandchildren. Thank you to each of you for standing behind /your/ Service Member, remembering what they need throughout the year, physically…
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“I’ll be Home for Christmas” is the new theme song of troops in Iraq – DoD Blogger Roundtable
The last division in Iraq should be home for Christmas! That is the goal of military leaders. After almost nine years of war in Iraq, the less than 20,000 troops still there are getting on planes and heading home – the 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii is the last major unit in Iraq and as the New Dawn stage of the war prepares to transition the last 7 bases to Iraq (6) and Department of State (1) control. A new relationship is beginning with the New Year! U.S. Army Brig General Bradley Becker said a plane full of the division’s troops landed in Hawaii last night. The pace has…
