Recycle your greeting cards

As the holidays are now we all start putting decorations away & tossing out the cards you received from Family & Friends. I am hoping that you can send the card fronts (don't send the photo cards from Aunt Edna or anyone else please) to me so that they can be recycled into new cards for our troops next Christmas/Wintertime. This year I was able to send card packs to over 1200 troops. I am hoping to do more next year (last year was about 1000). Please ask friends & family to do the same. Cards will be collected all year (all greeting cards) Please email me at pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com for address on where to send them.

Thank you so much for your support!!

Good Morning Sailor...Welcome Home!

This was definitely one the more interesting Missions for me since being with the Patriot Guard Riders. There have been alot of delays with the airlines of late and shortly before we were to head out to this one we were notified that the 9:00 pm time was changed to 1:30 am (O Dark 30). Well we both decided to take a bit of a nap as this is just a tad past our bedtime. We got up, put on warmer clothes as it was a bit chilly out & headed to our staging area. The night crew was there...Spike even brought coffee to warm folks up (and keep em awake). 6 bikes & our pickup is pretty impressive for that hour. We headed to the airport to wait for his arrival. The airport was empty except for people who work there. He had no family waiting as his wife is out of country...he will be meeting up with her at a later date.

He came thru the gate to meet with us....very surprised. We were supposed to escort him to Naval Center so that he could pick up his car but he was just too tired. He requested to just go to his motel so that he could get some well needed sleep....not sure how long this guy had been traveling but I know he had put in many hours in the air. After getting some photo's we headed out. Spike had called ahead to Alameda PD to let them know we were coming thru because of the hour & as we were riding thru there was a police car on a side street. As we drove by lights started flashing....an honor for the IC1 (INTERIOR COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRICIAN). It was very kewl for sure. As we pulled in front of the motel a woman was at the drivers door of the pickup. She yelled "YOU GUYS ROCK!" She asked what was up & we told her. It turns out she was retired Navy. She went up to Mario & invited him to stay out her place...she had food, pool table & beer. We all could come too. Maybe back in the day but we were all too tired for such an invite. We thanked her & she gave Mario her number in case he changed his mind. I can't wait to do this again.

LCDR Sumrall Homecoming

We had 25 bikes & 4 cages for this welcome home. This is the first time most of us had attended one that no one knew who the returning hero was. We quickly figured it out & it was a great time. We escorted him to the NOSC center in Alameda where they had pizza & soda for us all. He was very appreciative as his wife was out of country & no one would have been there to greet him. Below is a video of us greeting him at the airport...that's me getting in a hug at the end.

Navy Lt Christina Ortega Comes Home

8 Bikes, 2 cages, lots of South Bay Blue Star Moms members, plus friends & family turned out to welcome this Hero who was returning from deployment to Iraq where she served as a PIO with the US Marines. We participated in the escort to the family home also...about 20 minutes away. Neighbors up & down the street had yellow ribbons tied out front & many had Flags waving. Very Awesome. Welcome Home Christina & Thank you for your service.

HELP NEEDED FOR A WOUNDED WARRIOR

Overflow crowd jams Braley benefit
Staff reports of the
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

It was a gathering fit for a hero.

Congressman Jerry McNerney was present. So was state Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian. They were part of an overflow crowd that arrived at Friday's benefit dinner for wounded sailor Christopher Braley at the Manteca Golf Course clubhouse passing 50 American flags placed along Union Road by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce.

Braley, a sailor corpsman attached to a Marine unit, was wounded by an improvised explosive devise while on patrol in Fallujah in Iraq. Earlier Friday, Braley went into surgery again at the Navy hospital in Bethesda, Maryland - this time to deal with bleeding from his eye and other parts of his head.

The sold-out crowd was there for one purpose only - to support Braley and his family as he faces the daunting task of numerous surgeries and months of recovery before returning to his native Manteca.

Proceeds from the $30 tickets will allow his mother to stay with him beyond the month the military pays for family to stay near their wounded sons and daughters. It is considered crucial given the number of surgeries that await him plus the trauma of dealing with the aftermath of having his cheek bones crushed, his nose broken, his right eye gone, and a part of his scalp still open due to shrapnel hitting his head from an improvised explosive device.

Among those present were Gold Star dads Chuck Palmer and Michael Anderson.

Palmer is the father of Marine Cpl. Charles Palmer, the first Manteca soldier to lose his life in Operation Freedom.

Anderson knows all too well the dangers of Fallujah. He lost his son Cpl. Michael Anderson Jr. there on Dec. 14, 2004 during the fierce "Battle for Fallujah." Anderson resides in Modesto and works at Manteca Auto Plaza.

Braley, 23, is a Sierra High graduate.

Those who wish to make a donation may do so by writing a check to
Larry Braley, Jr., c/o The Christopher Braley Fund, acct. #1250009527 at the Bank of Stockton is located at 660 North Main St., 249-2200.

If you'd like to send him mail, you can do so by writing:
HM Christopher Braley
National Naval Medical Center; Building 9 - ICU
8901 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland 20889


HIME ROMERO/The Bulletin
Bill Scaces, who is a childhood friend of
Christopher Braley, stands next to a
tribute honoring the Navy corpsman.


HIME ROMERO/The Bulletin
Gold Star dads Chuck Palmer, left,
and Michael Anderson who have
both lost sons in the Iraq war.

SOME VIDEOS & SUCH TO SHARE

Here are some video's & such to see for all branches to see a different side & hopefully give them more of the respect they all deserve.

US ARMY DRILL TEAM HOOAH!!! Here's a Montage too.

Check out these NAVY SEALS.........very kewl. Make sure you click the download so you can see this on the entire monitor screen.

BLUE ANGELS & Again Here (Gonna see them next week)

And here are some sites for the Marines........Silent Drill Platoon (make sure to look at all the photos) & Here too, Combat Artists & The Three Jarheads

Here's a link you really need to check out......

And last but certainly not least is the US Coast Guard.....Here & then here too.

A WONDERFUL SUNDAY

We woke up this morning & Steve wanted to go check out Dick Blick art materials store in Oakland......we had never been tho we had definitely seen the catty's. So we got dressed & headed on out....stopped first at Long's to redo our film developing (they had a 99¢ coupon for CD with 1 Hour developing so we could get the film today for $2 more) YEAH. The guy who helped us at Long's is a Navy vet tho I said he looked toooo young to have already done his 4 yrs. He's currently in reserve status but said he will be called up again soon. I told 'The Communicator' that there was no such thing as reserves these days. Anyway....left the film in capable hands & off to Oakland.

Well......the store is definitely nothing like the catty.....it is small. All I got was a poster of the Statue of Liberty during Restoration & 3 gel pens. YIKES! Decided that being we were out that way we would go to Jack London Square to B&N as Steve is looking for a book on paint lettering. Parked the car & were just in time for some wonderful samples.....oh, the Farmer's Market was going on....of some Zucchini Fritters & another Zucchini dish which were both very good. Then into B&N but found nothing. We roamed around for a bit & decided on Lunch at Tony Roma's. Very good. And next door is Ben & Jerry's so had to have a scoop of Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt. Now to walk it all off. Walked around taking pictures......it was a beautiful day.

Before we headed home we stopped to pick up the photo's from yesterday & they turned out great but I just realized he didn't do a CD for us with either roll. I just called & if I bring the negatives in they can put on CD.....thank goodness. So Huey photo's will have to wait another day. Have a great Monday everyone.

Card Contest deadline coming up....& BLOG CANDY

Less than a week to go to enter Kyla's contest....they must be received by May 15th. Prizes are Gift Certificates for Stampin UP & eclectic paperie. Good luck to all entrants.

Make sure you check out my Other Blog....have been putting pictures up & make sure you try to win the blog candy.

Needing Father's Day cards right now....must send out by end of May. Also if you can get some cards to me by Monday for Armed Forces Day that would be greatly appreciated by me as well as the troops. Just a card with some words of encouragment & appreciation is all you need. Let me know you are sending em so I can hold off my shipment. Thanks

Another way to help with Cards for the Troops

More exciting news. Another wonderful person by the name of Laura O'Shea has made another offer to help out with the Cards for the Troops project. This will allow non-cardmakers an opportunity to help out. She makes cards to sell & has set it up to donate a card to the troops for each card sold. If you do not want to buy a card for yourself she will give a 20% discount for cards purchased to donate. Check out her site, Whirlpool of Imagination, for more information. This will go thru the month of May......hope you can help out.

Card Contest in Progress

EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE!!!
I got an email from Kyla Maestas (a Stampin' Up Demo from WY) telling me she not only wanted to participate in the Cards for Troops project but she wanted to know if it was ok to promote a contest to get more cards to send. Well what do you think I said?? YaHOO! The contest is officially started today & all the information you will need is on her blog, Kyla Maestas~Sweetwater Designs. RUN, RUN, RUN to go check it out. Good luck to all.

NO HALLMARK STORES IN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN!

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers. My only son (our only child actually) is in the US ARMY. We send packages overseas to the troops (we get names from families & friends plus we have contact names over there who hand goodies out) & also put cards in the packages to them & for them to send home to their loved ones. Cards needed right now are All Occasion Cards (Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Hello, Friend, Missing you & kids cards for them to send to their children at home) by end of June (next mailing will be end of September). These cards should be blank inside for the service member to write inside to their loved ones, must be with regular envelopes...back of card tucked into envie (no clear ones please) & if you do do dark paper please put light color insert so they can write on that. We always want Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside (thank you for your service, you are in my prayers, hope you come home to your loved ones soon, etc). Due to security issues these envelopes (envelopes are not required for the thank you cards to them if you don't want to put them in one) must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 cards at Christmas & several emails this past mailing) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside (I have been getting emails). We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me with any questions you may have or to ask for the address to mail the cards to: pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com (please don't disrespect the troops by using this email to send spam!). This will be a year round project. http://dddzstmpn.blogspot.com

Hallmark doesn't have stores in Iraq or Afghanistan

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers....my only son (only child actually) is in the US ARMY. On March 24th (if you can't make this date then send for next mailing which will be end of June) we will be sending packages overseas to troops & would like to put cards in the packages. I am requesting Easter cards & Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside. Due to security issues the envelopes must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 responses at Christmas) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside. I am also sending cards (blank inside) that the troops can use to send home to friends & family (ie:birthday cards, miss you, thinking of you, thank you cards & just because cards) ....don't you think the moms/dads/aunts/uncles, etc would love to send cards home to the little ones?......these will need envelopes but they do get free postage. We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me at pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com & I will answer any questions you may have & give you address where to send the cards. I am hoping to do this year round as we send packages multiple times of the year.

Thanks goes out to Sarah who has posted my blog on her's asking for donations to Cards for the Troops. Check out her blog....some great ideas to see.