Operation Write Home Veteran's Day Blog Hop

Welcome to our Operation Write Home Veteran's Day "Valentine" blog hop!  You should have arrived here from the fabulous Rick St. Dennis blog, if not, you can start at the beginning here.

Our blog hop is a Valentine hop because the deadline to send Valentine cards to our shippers is January 7, 2011, and we all know how quickly times passes!  Here's a link to the main OWH blog where you can find different card deadlines, shippers addresses and lots of other valuable information.

First I have some photos I'd like to share that I found at the OWH Flickr gallery.

Our cards that are donated to Operation Write Home are a blessing to our troops and their families.  I thought you'd like to see a glimpse of where your cards go.

I also have a great story for you today that was sent to me in an e mail from my friend Amanda.  

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Snack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that snack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time...

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a snack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base.'

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten snacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars..

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.

I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich.  God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country.. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to ' the United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

I have a couple of cards to share with you too!  

For my first Valentine card I used Mary Margaret by Michelle Perkett Studio, she's colored with Copic markers R22, R24, R27, T1, T2, T3, E49, E59, E33, E00, E000, YR00.   I used Spellbinders Oval and Scalloped Oval dies as well as a mini tag die, the tiny hearts she's holding are a Quickutz die.  I applied Stampin' Up! Crystal Effects to the hearts to give them some shine.   The layout is a sketch from Mojo Monday week 146, the papers are Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Neenah Linen Red, Papertry Ink Basic Black, Stampin' Up! Basic Grey.  The dotted grey cardstock has gone through the Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  The sentiment is from a Verve Visual clear stamp set.

My second Valentine card uses a digital image from Bug A Boo stamps, isn't "she" cute?!
I colored the pup with Copic markers E41, E42, E43, E44, R22, R24, R27, W00, B0000 cut it out with Spellbinders circle and labels 9 dies.  The top half of the card is embossed with dog paw prints from a Fiskars embossing plate and I used two left over hearts from a Quickutz die on either side.  The card stocks used are Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Neenah Linen Red, Stampin' Up! Creamy Carmel and Thepapermill.com Nut Brown.  "Be My Valentine" is from a Papertrey Ink stamp set. 

One more thing!  I have blog candy for you too!!

This is a medium flat rate Priority Mail box filled with goodies.  The bottom is packed with 8 1/2 x 11 card stock in a variety of colors, there are stickers, rub ons, chip board accents, acrylic and rubber stamps, etc. 

To win my blog candy please leave a comment at the bottom of this post.  I will draw a winner and make the announcement here Tuesday morning, November 16th!

Your next stop in our hop is the very talented Cindy at Cindy's Card Co., enjoy! 

Challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers - Dry Embossing
Karber - Animal use a digital image
Craft Your Passion - 2 Of Something - 2 Hearts