11 Ways to Ruin a Photograph

The Help Movie v. The Help Book

Darcy Pattison — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:51:38 +0000

Read the winner of “The Help” children’s story contest.
Which did you like better? The Help movie or The Help book? They both discuss the civil rights movement and discrimination in a creative way–but they aren’t exactly the same!

Reviews of “THE HELP” MOVIE

Juanita H.: “Saw it three times—great movie! Loved it!”
Jeanie R.: “Loved it! Saw it twice and still planning on reading the book. And I’d go see the movie again!”
Rhonda L.: “Love that movie!”
Pam C.: “I really loved the movie. I’ve heard the book is great. I plan to read it.”
Lynne W.: “Cicely Tyson’s character was the role of a lifetime…”
DawnEna W.: “It was an amazing movie. Great story and great acting. I liked that I saw a few childhood actors from the seventies. I noticed that some people in the audience cried, while others laughed. The difference could have been the era they grew up in. I could see how perhaps it could also make some people angry. For me, it was a very ‘feel good…you go, girl!’ movie. Loved it and will see it several more times.”
Lorri C.: “For one of my best friend’s birthday, she and I went to a matinee. It just so happened the small audience was four black women and four white women (and later into the movie, one brave MAN!). I thought it was interesting how all of us seemed to react the same ways—with tears, with laughter, with anger. I laughed out loud and yes, I cried out loud. It’s one of the few movies I’ve ever loved enough to want to go see again.”

Reviews of “THE HELP” BOOK

Sharon K.: “Just finished it a couple of days ago. Loved it. Now I want to see the movie.”

Neva S.: “I hope the book causes people to pause and remember.”

Lorri C.: “I finished the book and saw the movie first. I was surprised how different many characters and many parts of the book’s plot are from the movie, but I loved both. I think the book does a great job showing the many intricacies of culture in those times. For me, it’s a good reminder that the ‘good ol’ days’ weren’t always so good. Hopefully, the book and the movie will help us all know better and do better and be better.”

Which did you like better? Please leave a comment and tell us which was your favorite.

Top 11 Tips for Staying in Touch with Troops

Darcy Pattison — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:10:43 +0000

Read the winner of “The Help” children’s story contest.

Stay in Touch with Military Troops (Or Your Military Family Member)

Staying in touch helps keep up the morale of troops. You can also encourage a military family with these tips.

Go old-school. Most soldiers say nothing’s better than an old-fashioned letter. If your mate or child or family member or friend is deployed, make a commitment to write a letter once a week or every two weeks. You can’t control when they’ll receive this mail, but if you’re consistently writing letters, they’ll be getting mail at some point. You don’t need to write a book. What’s most important is consistent, frequent communication and letting them know they’re loved. Give them an extra smile by asking kids to write letters and draw pictures. Keep letters upbeat as possible. Tell about something funny that happened.
Try MotoMail. Family and friends of Marines deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq may download, print, and send a free, private, secure letter to military members at https://www.motomail.us/ . Or, send mail to an Army member at https://www.superletter.com/ .
If you don’t have a family member or friend in the military, write someone who doesn’t receive mail. Contact The National Military Association at www.militaryfamily.org/ .

Pfc. Lucero Garcia, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, works hard and long hours as a frontline Soldier and still at the end of her shift is able to put on a smile. The mail Garcia has received today is spirit lifting and a welcomed sight from family members back home sending to their loved one. Garcia is deployed with Bravo Company, 949th Brigade Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade in support of Multi-National Division Ð Baghdad.

Care packages, care packages, care packages! For APO/FPO/DPO information, go to https://www.usps.com/send/apo.htm? . For more information about customs forms, go to https://www.usps.com/send/customs-forms.htm? . Make sure to verify the service member’s current address with the family back home, because these addresses can change during deployment. Have kids decorate the inside of the mailing boxes.
What should you mail in care packages? Think locally. What hometown or state favorites can you send? Make sure the treats will not melt or ruin in extreme heat or cold. Send canned goods with pop-top lids. Send plastic spoons. Send treats soldiers can share with other soldiers, like bagged candies or chewing gum or one-drink packets. Send phone cards and giftcards (soldiers can use them to contact their family or shop online for family birthdays or holidays). Send blank cards, birthday cards, stationary, envelopes, and disposable ink pens, so the military member can send their own mail. Send photos of life in the U.S., like nature and seasons. Send a great magazine. Send newspaper clippings about people and places they know. Add something fun, like a small ball or way to pass downtime, like a puzzle book. Scan kids’ schoolwork. Ask the troop member for things they need, like heavy-duty socks or boot laces or Band-Aids or sunscreen. Best tip: don’t send things that need carried or kept. Space is tight. Send things that can be mostly used up and enjoyed.
Use today’s technology. Most military families communicate via email (set up Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail accounts), anytime a soldier has the opportunity for computer time. Many Facebook and use Facebook’s Chat for live communication. Due to security, there may be restrictions. Due to time zone differences, phone calls can be difficult to schedule, plus expensive. But with smart phones, you can often communicate with the soldier at unexpected times. On Facebook, leave your family member’s chat name open, so anytime he or she comes on, you can see the green dot. Via SMS, you can subscribe to your family member’s Facebook updates and receive notifications as a text messages to your phone, letting you instantly go on to Like or Comment or Chat. On Facebook, go to Account & Account Settings and click the Mobile tab, then to your soldier’s page, and click “Subscribe via SMS”.
If allowed due to security, use those instant messenger and video chats available with Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, and/or Skype. If you can use the video Skype and see each other, it helps everyone, despite static, delays, or any glitches. Seeing that face is worth a thousand words! Imagine your soldier being able to watch his or her child open birthday or holiday gifts. Or, your soldier can text to your cell phone via Skype. You can also leave Skype voicemail for soldiers not currently available.
Special programs where you can donate or do something special for your soldier or any soldier:
- Dog Tags for Kids (U.S. servicemen and servicewomen can send one free to their child back home). Read about the program at www.dogtagsforkids.com/ .
- Donate a cell phone at any AT&T or donate money or a calling card. Find out more at http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/ .
- Buy a cup of coffee for a deployed soldier! The Green Beans Coffee Company serves troops. You can buy a Cup of Joe gift for any soldier for each $2 you spend. You can send a note along with that gift. Or, buy a coffee card for your special soldier. See the details at http://www.GreenBeansCoffee.com .
- Create a memory box or scrapbook, adding communication back and forth, photos, and any mementos. Let kids create a gift for Mom or Dad when they return home, by taking a photo of the military member’s child each first of the month and writing a message to Mom or Dad on the page. It’s a great idea to keep a family journal, writing down the hard moments missing your family member, ways you’re helping each other get through this, and funny, sweet, or small moments you would like to record. Make sure to record little ones’ heights and weights at regular intervals. Write down info after doctor or dentist check-ups or teacher conferences.
- Create a mini photo book for your soldier spouse or fellow parent or military adult child. Choose a special photo of you and your soldier together to look at whenever he or she is most lonely. Add a great photo of each family member and pet. You might include a photo of your home or hometown.
- Set a “thinking of you” time. No matter where you both are, set a time of day or night whenever you both pause a moment to send love each other’s way. You might exchange a special symbol that you both kiss at this special moment.

Watch these tributes by military kids.

-By Lorri Cardwell-Casey (who says a big THANK YOU to every service member and family member out there!)

11 Ways to Help Military Families

Darcy Pattison — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:10:46 +0000

Read the winner of “The Help” children’s story contest.

You Can Help Military Families

If Dad or Mom are deployed, send military kids their own care package. Let them know you’re thinking about them and add a card, telling them you’ll continue to think of them and pray for them.
Ask! Ask the parent or grandparent or family member at home how you can help. Make an offer of something, like offer to babysit the kids for a weekend to give them a break, but also add that you would like to help in any way, so if this isn’t something they need or want, let you know what you can do.
If you can afford it, give a military family you know a giftcard to help out with expenses, like for a grocery store or for Walmart or Target. Or, give a giftcard for a special treat, like to a restaurant.

Deployments often leave soldiers missing loved ones from home, one soldier takes the time to write his loved one a note. Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division are current deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and are expected to return early summer of 2012.

Offer to do big or small tasks the military member might have done at home. Offer to mow or trim the yard. Offer to pick up the kids from an activity. Offer to do any honey-dos, like fixing something. Offer to run errands. Ideally, offer to do something on a regular basis, like helping the kids with homework and getting them into bed the nights the military spouse takes a night class, for example. If you don’t know a military family, find out ways you can volunteer at http://serve.gov/ .
Stay in touch. Write the family members letters and cards, letting them know you haven’t forgotten them or what they may be going through and that you are there for support. Let them know you’re thinking of their family member and of them. Besides regular mail, email them and talk on Facebook.
Ask if military kids need school clothes or school supplies or holiday gifts. Give a giftcard or shop for specific items. Secretly contact the family’s guardian to see how you can help.
Cook or buy some extra. Take a military family frozen meals for their freezer. Bring a bagful of groceries. Give them some canned goods, boxed meals, and add some treats. Sure, they can shop on-base, but most families would appreciate the gesture.
Find out more about “Joining Forces”, Vice-President’s wife Dr. Jill Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to raise public awareness for military families and their needs. Find out ways you can send a thank you message, volunteer in your community, and other ways you might help out military families and our troops at http://joiningforces.us.org/ .
Learn about and donate to Operation Purple, a program with summer camps for military kids and teens, national park family retreats for military families, and camps for those families with wounded service members at http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/ .
Say thank you. Express your gratitude for their family’s sacrifice for our country.
Pray. Make a commitment to pray every single day for a particular military family. From time to time, write out your prayers and email or mail these to the family. Let them know you’re surrounding them with love.

-By Lorri Cardwell-Casey (whose family is praying every day for the safety of their cousin Joe, stationed in Afghanistan)

Watch Surprise Homecomings by Soldiers

Darcy Pattison — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:18:11 +0000

Read the winner of “The Help” children’s story contest.