Thursdays Get Together Blog Hop

A couple of weeks ago Theresa from Chatter from Texas asked if I would be interested in co-hosting her blog hop. Although I've participated in blog hops, I've never actually been a co-host before.

So, this is my first attempt at co-hosting.

Here's the guidelines for Thursdays Get Together:

Please follow both of your hostesses on facebook and also on their blogs as GFC followers. We only allow family friendly sites. All others will be removed. Also, if someone follows you, please at least visit their site and consider following them back.

You can also find Love, Granny on Networked Blogs on Facebook.

So, click on the link & check out Chatter from Texas ...

It's always nice to meet new friends during these blog hops!

Chatter from Texas: Thursdays Get Together

Theraputic Baking

I don't think it's a secret ... but I LOVE to bake!  I started baking with my Granny when I was just a little girl, then as I got older my Mother & I had special recipes that we loved to bake together.  I still remember baking special cakes with my Mother -- oh, and a homemade glaze that would melt in your mouth! 

Ahhhh, I need to get her recipe box!!!!

So, when my daughter came along our tradition continued.  Christmastime was a special baking time in our household.  Every dessert was homemade ... brownies, cakes, breads, candy, fudge, cookies ... 

(I think I'm packing my 25 lbs back on already :)  

Okay, back to today ... 

And now I have Lucy to continue our family baking tradition.  One of mine & Lucy's favorite treats to bake are cinnamon muffins. 

And of course testing the finished product :)  We sure wouldn't want anyone else to eat them if they didn't taste to perfection.

Christmas baking has already begun in our house.  We took some "brownie bites" over to G-G and Grandpa's house on Saturday.  And Lucy even made a special brownie Christmas tree too!

Of course she HAS to sit on the counter so that she can add her special Christmas sprinkles ... 

     

Lucy is learning to cut with plastic knives, so what better food to "cut" than her Christmas 

tree!

And of course, the "Lucy taste test" ... 

I think it "might have" passed!

There's just something about baking to me.  

It's soothing ... relaxing ... calming ... distraction ... stress-buster ... energizing ... thought-provoking ... 

Sometimes when I just need to get away from the cares of my little piece of the world ... 

I bake.

And when Lucy & Granny meet up tomorrow afternoon?

I think ... 

 

We will bake.  

 

Because He is Able

For the past month I have read many "thankful" posts from our blog community, Facebook and Twitter.  From the life-changing to the everyday smallest blessing ...  from life's very breath to the life-changing circumstances ... from the heartfelt to the seemingly mundane.  It seems (to me) that we are becoming evermore aware just how blessed we are from our Abba Father.  I too have a growing list of what I am most thankful for.  But somehow I can't seem to put into words all of my thankfulness. 

Instead, my focus has been on just one aspect of God ... just one of Almighty God's traits ... just one attribute of His all-mighty power.  My heart & soul have been saturated in this one aspect of our Heavenly Father all week.  And it's through this aspect that I have bountiful blessings ... an abundant life ... a life of thanksgiving.  

God is able to bless ... love ... comfort ... transform ... forgive ... encourage ... soothe ... restore ... save ... guide ... heal ... see ... transcend ... revive ... renew ...  God is able.

As I prepare to enter this Thanksgiving season (everyday of my life), I am reminded that it's through my Almighty Abba Father that I am given my bountiful blessings.  And He defeated the grave to give all of us eternal life.  What greater blessing is there?  And I am thankful.

God is able ... He will never fail ... He is Almighty God

Greater than all we seek ... Greater than all we ask ...He has done great things.

Lifted up ... He defeated the grave

Raised to life ... Our God is able

In His name ... We overcome

For the Lord Our God is able.

God is with us ... God is on our side ... He will make a way

Far above all we know ... Far above all we hope ... He has done great things.

Lifted up ... He defeated the grave

Raised to life ... Our God is able

In His name ... We overcome

For the Lord Our God is able.

God is with us ... He will go before

He will never leave us ... He will never leave us

God is for us ... He has open arms

He will never fail us ... He will never fail us.

Lifted up ... He defeated the grave

Raised to life ... Our God is able

In His name ... We overcome

For the Lord Our God is able.

For the Lord Our God is able

For the Lord Our God is able.

My First Giveaway Winner!!!

First, Thank You to all who participated in my first giveaway!  I have been so excited to share MyMemories Digital Scrapbook with someone … and today was the day!!!

Second, I apologize for not having this post up yesterday, but it seems like this was (is) “the” week in our household … Grandad fell off a ladder a week ago this past Sunday (still recovering, but could have been so much worse) … 
then Lucy was sick for a week (it breaks Granny’s heart when my little princess is sick --- she's not 100% yet, but she thinks she is :) … 
then Mrs. ‘Joe has been sick (severe sinus infections are always rough, 
but Disney-Boy has hopefully been resting too:)… 
then our Internet went out for a little … 

Okay, enough of our stuff ... 

When I first started blogging I hadn’t given any thought that anyone else would even read it … 
except for my vision of sitting Lucy down in front of the computer in about 10 years and 
making her read some of my posts! 
So, to even have anyone else remotely interested in it is a bonus to me. 

And I never would have thought that I would have a giveaway either.  That was not my intent for this blog.  However, when MyMemories contacted me, I thought this was a perfect fit. I want to preserve my values, memories, life experiences for my grandchildren and generations that will follow. 
So, I decided to do it.  
Will I be doing more giveaways?  I'm not sure.  
But if another product comes my way that will fit with the overall integrity of my blog, 
then I will consider it. 
So, we will see …

But now …

The number selected by RANDOM.ORG … and the winner of Granny’s first giveaway – 
MyMemories Digital Scrapbook software – 
is …

Comment # 2 !!!

Congratulations Heather!!!  I know you will LOVE this software … 
it’s my favorite hobby in the evenings when everyone is winding down from a full day.

AND … 
if any of my readers are interested in purchasing MyMemories, 
please use my code to
receive $10 off your initial software download 

PLUS another $10 off the MyMemories store.  

My special coupon code is
STMMMS69350

Thank you ladies, again, for making 
Granny’s first giveaway a success! 

Veteran's Day ... and OPSEC of Today

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the 

First World War, then known as "the Great War." 

Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th 

became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. 

In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, 

a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. 

(http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-veterans-day)

Honoring those past & present who served or serve country.  We remember ... and we are thankful.  

My uncle served in the Navy in World War II ... I am thankful for his service & sacrifice for our country.  He really didn't talk about his service when I was a young girl -- he did not want the thought of war or images in the minds of us children.  He was an honorable man.  And my cousin -- his only son -- accepted the American flag at his funeral 7 years ago.  My uncle was a true patriot through and through.

And I think about my son-in-law ... G. I. Joe.  He left just one week after their wedding & spent his first year of marriage on deployment. 'Joe is military through & through.  Even little Lucy will tell you "my Daddy's a soldier" with all the pride her little 3 year old heart & voice can proclaim.  She (along with her Mommy, Grandad & Granny) are very proud of her Daddy's service to our country.  

But honoring our military from years gone by is not the same as honoring our military of today. Years ago there was no information highway ... no Internet with instant information ... and perhaps not as much curiosity as what we face today.  I will be the first to admit that I stayed glued to CNN (at the time) at the end of each day of teaching, and was transfixed on Operation Enduring Freedom. Yes, this was my "relaxation" after a day of teaching.

So, how much information is too much information?  I know that the media plays a huge role in transferring what they classify as "need to know" information ... but what about our role as ordinary citizens (whether 

a military family or a civilian family)?  How much information is too much for us to share about our loved ones who selflessly serve our country?  Or even our own family that holds down the home-front when our loved ones are serving away from our home-base?

This is where OPSEC is its most critical.  If you're not familiar with OPSEC, 

this is a quick definition from Wikipedia:

 Operations security (OPSEC) is a process that identifies critical information to 

determine if friendly actions can be observed by adversary intelligence systems, 

determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to them,

and then executes selected measures that eliminate or reduce adversary exploitation of friendly critical information.

You can google this and find hundreds of articles on OPSEC.  But here's a few suggestions that Granny can give you just from the top of my head:

Do not give specifics.

Do not talk about timeframes.

Do not talk about deployments.

Do not talk about missions.

Let's face it ... as military families (and civilians as well), we are proud of our military loved ones. 

However, we also need to respect the fact that their jobs are different than what we face in our everyday life here at home. So, instead of possibly putting "too much information" on our loved ones, here is a short list of alternatives that we can possibly participate:

• Thank all of our military for their service (afterall they sacrifice time with their families - spouses, children, parents, friends -  to serve our country).

• Get involved with any of your community Veterans Association groups.

• Adopt a soldier through Soldier's Angels (you'd be surprised at the number of military who do not receive care packages abroad ... SA's motto is "May No Soldier Go Unloved").

• Recognize the fact the military families are not at liberty to discuss aspects of their loved ones' military jobs. 

• For the most part, if you know of someone who is serving abroad & you want to send them a care package, encouraging note, etc., give these items to the service member's family & they will be more than happy to include your items in their care packages. You may never know just how much your thoughtfulness means to the one abroad, and also to those holding down the home-front.

• And it means the world to our military service member if you remember his/her spouse, children, family at home.  G. I. Joe will tell you first that he is "just doing my job", but he is more at ease when he knows that his wife & children are remembered on the home-front.  This is true whether they are husbands, wives, dads, moms, singles ... they just want their loved ones taken care of & remembered.

There's so much more that could be included in these lists.  But, these are just a few things that have come to my mind lately.  A few weeks ago I saw a doctor whose husband retired after 30+ years of military service.  She told me that the information age that we live in today is both beneficial and crucial to today's military & their families.  The world is basically at our fingertips with just the click of a few buttons.  So privacy is the most important in many aspects of holding down the home-front.

When I googled OPSEC, one of the hits gave me this image from Wikipedia ... 

I think it's worth sharing ...

and worth closing this post ... 

 

My Favorite Photo Topic ...

My favorite photo topic?  Guess who?  You got it ... 

Princess Lucy!

I made a quick scrapbook of Lucy's first few days in our world:  

Second Anniversary ... Our Ft. Hood Heroes

Button designed by Mrs. G.I.Joe

Today is a tough anniversary to get through in the military community.  It marks the second anniversary of the Ft Hood shooting where 13 men & women were gunned down 

and became our heroes. 

And today I recalled a conversation I had several months ago with a sales clerk at one of our department stores. Her son was (at that point) in the military, and I told her about my son-in-law who also serves in our military just in a different branch. She & I chatted for a while as she completed my purchase ... comparing stories -- her's from a mother's view & mine from an "in-law" view. And you know something? There was no difference at all.  I told her that when our daughter said "I do", her husband became our son. And Grandad & I are as proud of him serving our country as she was of her son also serving our country.

I think that's one of the aspects that makes the military community so close-knit.  

We are all in this together ... 

our loved ones voluntarily put their lives on the lines for us every moment of everyday. 

When one of our military lays down their life for our country, 

we all grieve ... 

we all hurt ...

we all cry.

And we all cried on November 5, 2009. 

And we still cry.  

I follow several military family blogs.  My daughter (Mrs. G. I. Joe) has "introduced" me to several families through the blog-world, and I am so thankful to have met them.  I ask that you keep our military & their families in your prayers.  

No matter what branch they serve in ... 

they serve our country ... 

they serve us.  

The families of our Ft. Hood heroes are still serving our country. They continue to serve each moment as they heal from the tragedy that occurred in our own country.  
Just as those who have paid the sacrifice overseas ... 
they all are our heroes.  

Today, we are all Ft. Hood family members ... 

May we never forget those who laid down their lives serving our country on November 5, 2009:

Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, 55 - Maryland

Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52 - Virginia

Cpt. John P. Gaffaney, 54 - California

Cpt. Russell Seager, 41 - Wisconsin

Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, 32 - Indiana

Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29 - Wisconsin

Spc. Jason Hunt, 22 - Oklahoma

Spc. Frederick Greene, 29 - Tennessee

PFC Aaron Nemelka, 19 - Utah

PFC Michael Pearson, 22 - Illinois

PFC Kham Xiong, 23 - Minnesota

Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21 - Illinois

Michael Cahill, 62 - Texas (civilian)

May the God of all comfort bring comfort to these families ... 

and may God continue to bless America.

Computer Glitch ... HTML Fixer to my Rescue

Well, after several weeks of HTML malfunctions (of which I couldn't see on my computers) I think my pictures are finally fixed!

A special shout-out THANK YOU to my beautiful and wonderful daughter 

-- Mrs. G. I. Joe -- 

for taking her time & knowledge in getting this fixed for me today (and Granny had some fun Lucy-time as Mommy wrestled with this).  She actually had to have 2 laptops running at the same time to get it straightened out.  My laptop showed everything normal size, but hers was basically the same as what everybody could see -- humongous!

So, thank you all for your patience in tolerating the huge photos ... I hope to never have this problem again ... 

but, we shall see. 

Please let me know if my pictures show up so huge again & I'll call on my HTML fixer to come to my rescue ... 

again :)

PS -- I hope you stop by (CLICK HERE) my giveaway post & enter ... MyMemories Digital Scrapbook software ... it's well worth the 2 minutes it takes to enter!  Hope to see your entry soon :)

My Favorite Hobby ... and Giveaway!

I've been so excited using MyMemories Digital Scrapbook software!  

I've downloaded a lot of FREE extras -- pages, embellishments, elements ...

 I really never thought I would get interested in scrapbooking as much as I have ... but just ask Grandad & he will tell you that I do something with it every evening.

If you like these samples,  
CLICK HERE to enter MyMemories Digital Software giveaway . 

It runs through November 15th ... just in time for Christmas presents!  

A Special "Treat"