During my brother’s junior year in high school, he was struck silent at a phone call he received while out with my boyfriend and I. The only thing the person on the phone told him was “Please come back to the school!” So that is just what we did. The school’s JROTC program was having there annual brisket cook for the Christmas season and many of the ROTC cadets, and some parents, had volunteered to stay the night to help keep the briskets moving. By the time we arrived at the school many parents and students were in tears or wore heavily sad expressions from what we did not know. But soon enough, one of my brother’s best friends came out from around the bar-b-q pit sobbing as she threw her arms around my brother, we were told the horrifying news that someone had ended there own life. After she let go of my brother she told him what she knew of his death, but I know that my brother did not hear a word she said, anyone could tell by looking at him that he was numb.
I had already been threw this same situation in my junior year of high school, two years earlier, so I tried to console anyone who just needed that shoulder to cry on. After I left the ROTC building, I crossed the parking lot to go back to the main group of students and parents, it was dark and I could not see that my brother was looking for me. As I stepped into the light, I could see him and he could see me, all at once he embraced me and began to cry. All I could do was cry with him, I couldn’t even speak, but that was what he needed that night.
In the days that followed we learned more about his death and some of the circumstances, but never the real reason for why. The more everyone learned, the sadder everyone became. His funeral had been arranged and would be held one month before his birthday. During that time I worked at a local flower shop and in this small world came to find out that the shop owner’s good friend was preparing the flowers for his funeral. For the last few days I had been thinking of something I could do for the students in ROTC and for his family. I talked to the shop owner, my boss, and asked her if we could send a sympathy flower piece to the family from the cadets in ROTC. With a kind smile she agreed and I asked for donations, from the cadets, to pay for the flowers to send to the funeral. In all we raised one hundred and fifty dollars to have an arraignment made and they also wanted to have a gift basket sent to the family directly. So I set to work making both the gift basket and the flowers.
The day of the funeral was an unusually cold day for early December. My brother and some of the other ROTC cadets that were close to him were asked to be his pawl bearers, so they were seated away from everyone else in the funeral chapel. Before the service began I notified all of the ROTC cadets to which one of the flower arrangements was ours so that they could properly present it to the boy’s family. By the time we made it out to the grave site the day seamed to be growing colder by the minuet, but that never deterred anyone from paying their respects. The time had come for the ROTC to present to the family the flowers; my brother’s best friend was the closest to the boy and she alone presented the flowers to the boy’s mother. No words were exchanged between the two women but the feeling of understanding and sorrow could have been felt for miles. Sometimes the best way to convey your sympathy for someone can be as simple as a gift of sympathy.

Come see the great gift basket collection for Valentine's Day! Make his or her day extra special this year.

Brought to you by Susan's Basket Store

Still struggling over what gift to buy for Mother’s Day? Among the many possibilities, the gift basket stands out as one of the best ideas. Why? Selection, ease of giving, and long-term enjoyment top the list of reasons.

If you’ve ever shopped for a Mother’s Day gift at a large retailer, you know the problems: What size should you get? Will she like the color? Can it be returned? With gift baskets, it’s easy to decide – just think of something she likes, and make it the theme. Whether it’s coffee, spa products, candles, or golf, there will be a basket available. Want a great way to remind her of that time you traveled together in Napa Valley? Send a basket of gourmet items from California.

Another great thing about gift baskets is that they can be shipped almost anywhere, even to members of the military who are stationed overseas. You won’t have to wrap the gift, box it up, or wait in line to mail it. Even the simplest gift basket makes an impressive statement when it arrives, as most are wrapped up with cellophane and bows and other colorful touches. Just place your order and the basket will be delivered, complete with a personal message from you to the recipient.

Finally, even gift baskets that contain food items or flowers can be enjoyed for years to come, because the contents make up only one part of the gift. The container can be a gift in itself. On my last birthday, I received a little warming pot that is used to melt scented candles. It arrived in a tall cylindrical box that is black with little white polka dots all over it. I used the warming pot a few times, then put it away when I got tired of it taking up counter space. As it turned out, the box has been the best part of the whole gift. I have used it as a “cover” for a flower vase (it looks super with red tulips!) and as a cutlery container for a buffet line.
Similarly, the large hand-woven basket that arrived holding a selection of treats from Santa Fe continues to give me joy long after the snacks were eaten. Many of the gift baskets available now come in clever and very re-useable tins, baskets and boxes.

So, if you are feeling frustrated trying to pick a gift to give for Mother’s Day, consider a gift basket. They can be personalized, enjoyed for years to come, and never, ever have to be returned or exchanged for a different size.

Contributed By Laura Weaver

Sure, you’d like to give your mother a gift certificate to a posh spa on Mother’s Day, but let’s face it…most of us can’t afford the cost. Destination spas generally charge at least $200 per night with only the most basic services included. Even at more affordable day spas, prices and tips can quickly add up.

There is another way you can treat your mother to a spa-like experience on Mother’s Day. She won’t get a fancy seaweed wrap or a mud bath, but with a gift basket of spa-inspired products, she can still enjoy a little pampering at home.

Start with a pretty container and fill it with products that are based on popular spa treatments. For facials, you can find delicious-smelling cleansers, facial massage oils, scrubs and moisturizers. If you like to dabble in the kitchen, you can make your own products - there are lots of recipes online for facial masks that contain ingredients such as avocados, eggs and honey.

Body treatments, which are like facials for the rest of the body, often include exfoliating scrubs, such as those made with sea salt, sugar or grains. These scrubs are frequently infused with essential plant oils such as peppermint or lavender and, like masks, can be made at home. As an alternative to a body scrub, you can buy a pair of inexpensive exfoliating gloves. They do the same job, but without the mess.

A spa experience wouldn’t be complete without a manicure and pedicure. Your mom probably has the basic manicure tools, such as nail clippers and files, so consider giving her cuticle oil or cream, cuticle pushers and nippers, and a fragrant hand-soaking solution. For her feet, buy a pumice stone or exfoliating rub and foot cream. You can find lightweight cotton socks and gloves for her to wear after she moisturizes; and foam finger and toe separators to use while she polishes her nails.

A spa-style robe (usually made of waffled white cotton or terry cloth), a towel hair-wrap and bath pillow would make nice additions to your gift; as would scented candles and a CD of her favorite songs.

If you are overwhelmed by the thought of putting together your own spa kit, consider buying a spa gift basket. They are available in all price ranges and are often assembled around a theme, like rose- or lemon-scented products, so you can find one that matches her tastes.

She may not leave the house for her spa-style getaway, but with the right combination of products, your mother can still feel pampered on Mother’s Day.

Contributed By Laura Weaver

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and that means that hundreds of thousands of people (okay, mostly men) will be frantically trying to come up with Valentine’s Day gifts that make their partners happy.

Remember how simple Valentine’s Day was when you were a kid? You’d hand your mother a homemade card and set off to school with a bag of cartoon- themed grocery store valentines (one for every person in your class, because that was the rule). In class, you’d exchange cards with your classmates while you ate the heart-shaped cookies that the room mother baked. If you were really lucky, some of the cards would be attached to candy.

For teens, Valentine’s Day was a little trickier.

Read more!

I have always loved wine but consider myself a novice when it comes to the ability to recognize and distinguish a wine’s characteristics. In fact, only recently I realized that when people spoke of wine tasting they were speaking of something much more complicated than just sipping the wine to determine if they liked it or not. I decided that it was time that I uncover some of the mystic of wine tasting.

I began by purchasing a wine tasting book for beginners. The book began by guiding me through the many types of wines, describing the grapes and how they are grown. At first the book was a little bit overwhelming and I was eager to get to the tasting section, but then I found that while reading the section on how wine is made, I began to have a little more understanding of why certain flavors are found in wines. I have heard wine connoisseurs describing wines as tasting like flowers or wood or nature and until reading this book I never understood where those flavors came from. It seemed like such a simple discovery. Some wines actually sit in oak barrels for a long period of time, and then of course, naturally the wine begins to take on the flavor of the wood. You don’t actually have to be a wine expert to recognize the flavor of wood. I do believe that you have to learn to “taste” the wine. It’s like the difference between hearing and listening. I found that when following the advice of the beginners wine book by closing my eyes, smelling the wine, and then taking a generous amount of wine into my mouth and allowing it to sit on my tongue and move around my mouth before I swallowed it I began to truly “taste” or actually listen to the flavors of the wine.

The first experience of truly tasting my wine was actually quite stimulating! I tasted a white merlot and I could almost feel the sensation of my taste buds tingling. The wine had a slight tartness accompanied by a fresh fruity flavor with a full moist taste. I had experienced this same wine on many prior occasions but suddenly it was as if I had discovered a whole new flavor. After that first experience I was eager to taste the many other wines that I had in my wine refrigerator. It was a refreshing discovery to find that there was truly a difference between drinking and truly tasting wine.

While I am still a beginner and realize that I have a truly immature palette for tasting wine, I have learned that the best way to improve one’s wine tasting ability is to taste as much as possible on a regular basis. While I am not planning on becoming a professional wine taster, I have learned enough that I can truly appreciate the wine that I drink and take the time to enjoy the sensory experience of tasting the wine instead of just casually drinking it with my dinner. I would highly recommend anyone who enjoys a glass of wine to at the very least read a book on wine tasting so that they too may enjoy this invigorating experience. And if you want to take it a step further, there are a growing number of wine schools that can be found, offering wine tasting classes to the public. For the time being, I am satisfied that I have learned how to fully appreciate the delicious wines I used to take for granted.

I am so thankful, somewhere along the way I have come to this new place and I love it!

Maybe its this time of year…Its starting to get cooler so the heat isn’t driving everyone insane, you start to get that cozy feeling of holiday spirit and your only two months away from a bran spanking new year, a clean slate where you resolve to make this year better than the last or just as good.

Maybe its all this exercising I have been doing. I ran seven miles yesterday and a total of 15 for last week. Endorphins have been suggested as modulators of the so-called "runner's high" that athletes achieve with prolonged exercise. While the role of endorphins and other compounds as potential triggers of this response has been debated extensively in the literature, it is known that the body does produce endorphins in response to prolonged continuous exercise.

Maybe its because I stopped trying to look like the girls in my shape magazine and started just being happy and accepting what I can and cant change about my body. I can’t change that I am 5’4, sure I would like to have longer legs but who has time to stare in the mirror and wish?

Maybe its because I started reading the newspaper and realized how much I take for granted and how lucky I am to be alive. Did you know that almost 20,000 people die every year from drunk driving accidents? I bet that most of us are not even fazed when the New York Times cover story is a picture of a solider walking through the debris of a suicide bombing. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless from the many natural disasters like Katrina, the tornadoes in Iowa or the huge earthquake that just hit in Northern Japan. Not to say that your problems are not important because someone is homeless or a bomb just went off in a café somewhere, its all relative, but whenever you think that you cant take what life is throwing at you it really puts things into perspective.

Maybe its because I started noticing the little things like how its funny that the birds chase the squirrels at school or how the clouds look beautiful around 5pm when the sun starts to set.

Maybe its because I am finally at a point where I am single and I actually like it! Where I don’t feel like I need a relationship to feel this happy. Finally to a point where I realized that I don’t need to be in such a hurry for things to happen to me, like finishing school, getting married and having kids. When those things happen I will have the rest of my life to enjoy them but I only have a short time to get there and so why not have fun while I am here, now. Guess I really understand the meaning of the cliché “Your only young once.”

Maybe its because my family and close friends are the most amazing, loving, selfless people that I know.

Maybe its because when I am sad my mom lets me call her four times a day at all hours so that I can request one of her famous pep talks that always make me stop crying.

Maybe its because my dad offers to beat up the X-boyfriend that hurt me or gets excited when he gets to be the first one to hear my latest news (before mom).

Maybe its because Becky loves me like a sister, tells me my artwork is beautiful when I think its awful and brings me flowers or cooks me dinner to cheer me up.

Maybe its because Amber, Bryson, and Roya accept me for just the way I am and let me tell them my long stories over and over because I forget what I have already told them.

Maybe its because my little sisters and little brother are four more people that I know love me unconditionally and will always be there for me.

Maybe its because of all these things and probably a lot more…maybe…but I do know that there is just too much beauty not to be happy!

JF

This is the season when thoughts of the family gathered around the kitchen and enjoying good food are on our minds. There’s something about homemade goodies that is hard to resist this time of year – even for those of us that rarely have the time during the rest of the year! All of a sudden, we are baking pies and cookies and spending much more time in the kitchen.

As a child, I remember times in the kitchen when my Mom would bake. There was always such a warm, loving feeling in the house. I worry that my children don’t get the same from me. Our lives are so terribly busy that I’m doing good most days if I get anything on the table for dinner at all! Many nights – I’ll put something quick together for the young ones, and the rest of us just fend for ourselves.

So, how do we manage to impart the same warm, loving environment to our kids that our parents did for us – and still live a modern life? I work two full-time jobs, unlike my Mom whose job was to stay home and take care of the family. So it only makes sense that I would not have the same kind of time that she did to care for my family.

I think that really, it comes down to loving your children and spending quality time with them. I may associate those feelings with food simply because that was where my Mom spent the majority of her time. Maybe my kids will probably associate those feelings with folding laundry instead! The point is that we all do the best we can with our time. If we love our kids and spend time with them – then they will feel loved and special regardless of what we are doing with that time.

The desire to make homemade goodies during the holidays is still there, but it has become increasingly harder to do as the years go by. This year, I’ll be sending home made goodies to some of my friends and family members, but they won’t be coming from my kitchen!

Susan’s Basket Store offers a variety of wonderful fresh baked goods that have that homemade quality. Mrs. Beasley’s muffins and cakes are a great choice. There are also lots of fresh baked cookie gift baskets as well as cookie arrangements.

Whether you are sending them as a gift or to yourself to help out during this busy holiday season, why not try the homemade goodness of these quality products this year! Bring a little warmth into your home without any effort on your part!

We have all heard the famous saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach".
Well, if I wrote this saying, I'd say, "The way to a man or woman's heart", because being a woman; I know that women are at least as food-oriented as men, if not more. For me eating food can be extremely pleasurable. In fact, eating is one of my favorite things to do. I am not crazy about fast food, but I love anything gourmet. I seem to have expensive tastes or taste buds is more like it. And one of my favorite surprises is an invitation to dinner! I'd rather have a nice box of chocolates than a bottle of fancy perfume.

Giving the gift of food has always been popular, from greeting the new neighbor with a basket of cookies, to bringing chicken soup to your sick friend. Even throughout history, food has been a common gift. In ancient Rome, food was often given for the New Years celebration and continuing to our day elaborate feasts are often provided for the same occasion. Whether chocolate at Valentines Day, or Christmas cookies, whatever the occasion, food has a way of comforting the soul.

Often times the term "gift" is used synonymously with "present" However, It has been said, that a gift is something you give to someone because you want him or her to have it, but a present is something you give someone that you know they want. Do you know what foods your loved ones enjoy? Pay careful attention to what they say about food while eating. When you give food as a gift, consider choosing one that is specially suited to the recipient. This makes the gift become more of a present. For instance, if you guy is a beer fanatic, show him you care about what he likes by giving a Belgium, Beer & Chocolates gift. For the wine lover, consider A Perfect Pairing of Wine & Cheese. Both are available at Susan's Basket Store.

Sometimes, it's the presentation of the food delivery that sets the mood for the occasion. A beautifully wrapped basket filled with European cheeses, delectable chocolates, and a bottle of Le Brut de Charmis sparkling wine delivered as a wonderful surprise gift for your special Valentine is almost sure to provide a romantic conclusion to your evening.

Whatever your occasion, Susan's Basket Store has a wide variety of food gifts that can be the perfect avenue to your lovers heart. From Gourmet Gift Baskets to sweet Cookie
Bouquets, you will find an abundance of mouth-watering treats; perfect for that special someone in your life.

At Susan's Basket Store we have a great selection of gifts for your special Father this Father's Day.

Surprise him with some of the best salsa that the United States has to offer with this Wicked Tomato® Salsa Gift Basket.

Filled with three jars of exclusive gourmet salsa that is not available at any other gift basket retailer.