Unwrapping: Showing You Care

Wednesday is the 70th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Never does a year pass that I don't think of the lives that were lost that day and all the lives lost since to keep our country free from those who would try to overshadow us or force us back into a life from which we fought so hard to be free. It's December, the holiday season is upon us and we shouldn't forget that there are young men and women far from their homes, their families and still putting themselves in harm's way to keep our freedoms that we cherish so much.

You're probably wondering why I'm not talking about this on Wednesday, Dec 7 but I actually have two good reasons for that. The first reason is that I would like to see all of us do something, even if it's the smallest thing with a thought to all those who have lost their lives since 2001, been injured or are still standing watch and doing their duty in a far off land before Wednesday.  What kind of thing, you may ask?  Well, I've not come empty handed but have some suggestions:

Donate to any of a number of charities that aid military personnel and their families.

Wounded Warrior Project,  To honor and empower wounded warriors. To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.

Fisher House is a private nonprofit organization, that supports America's military in their time of need. Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.

These are just two that help wounded military and their families but each branch of the Armed Forces including the Coast Guard have their own emergency relief funds to help take care of their own. They could all use your help.

Donate a calling card through Operation Uplink. Operation Uplink is a unique program that keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their families and loved ones by providing them with a free phone card. Using contributions from supporters like you, Operation Uplink purchases phone cards and distributes them to servicemen and women who are separated from those they care about.

Are you an animal lover? How about fostering a beloved pet of deployed military personnel?

Foster Military Pets is a program where Pedigree® Brand and Winn-Dixie have teamed up to help our military service men and women who have been deployed and need someone to foster their pet while serving our great country.

Operation Nobel Foster was officially launched on September 23, 2001 to provide temporary foster homes for military and paramilitary owned cats. Please do volunteer to help our military have their pets to come home to if you can.

Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets - Supporting our Military, Veterans, and their beloved Pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following a deployment (combat or peace-keeping mission) in harm's way to fight the global war on terrorism or unforeseen emergency hardship impacting their ability to retain their pet's ownership rights.

There are many more groups that help take care of our military personnel's pets while they take care of keeping us free so if you don't see something here that you can help with, please contact your local SPCA or County/City Animal Shelter to see if there's a need in your community.

If your budget just won't allow any of the above suggestions, you can give blood through the American Red Cross, or take a moment out of your day to visit a local VA hospital or nursing home (they love to be read to) or simply just hold a door for an aging veteran. It's the gratitude and thoughtful appreciation that is priceless.

Now for my second reason for presenting this information today instead of on Wednesday. I recently read a book by a new author that brought the Attack on Pearl Harbor to my mind. This awesome story takes place in the future but an attack on our freedom is timeless. KC Klein, the author of this amazing scifi/urban fantasy romance novel has graciously agreed to visit with me on Wednesday and answer a few questions plus she's going to give away an e-book copy of her very first published novel, DARK FUTURE, to one lucky commenter on Wednesday's blog, so please plan a visit.

Remember the Christmas Season is about giving, not just gifts but giving of a moment or a thoughtful act. I hope you'll think about doing something to help our dedicated military personnel have a better Christmas or just do something really nice for a stranger because the opportunity was there.

I'd love to hear how you plan to help someone less fortunate this Christmas Season. 

Happy Reading Everyone and see you on Wednesday for An Interview with KC Klein and a GIVEAWAY!!

My lovely friend, Maya Rodale has created a video that expresses just what I have been attempting to implant in the minds of not just men but other women ... it's truly NOT dangerous to read Romance Novels. Please watch, listen and change your way of thinking - before it's too late and you miss out on all the fun!!

Thank you so very much, Maya!!