In Honor of Chris Kyle

An email has been circulating about Chris Kyle, the Navy Seal who was horribly murdered, and the details of his funeral. When I read it, I was touched -- and outraged at our White House -- by what I read.  All the more reason why I must see American Sniper. 

We didn't get to go last night -- out to dinner with friends instead, great fun, glad we did -- but I'm hoping to get to the box office in the next week or so for this movie that tells his story.

The email, though, deserves more stage.  So here goes:

Chris Kyle's funeral .......................

You've probably heard of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, may have read his fascinating autobiography "American Sniper" and / or have seen the just released movie by the same title (starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle). Attached is the bitter sweet "end of the story", which regrettably, but typically, has had precious little media attention.

Some interesting info about SEAL Chris Kyle's funeral last 
year----makes you proud of Texas folks

Our president & attorney general call about Trayvon Martin and 
Ferguson Missouri , but don’t call SEALs or NY policeman families …What in the ******** is going on in “our country”???

This is why America will remain strong. We take care of our own as well as others who may not deserve taking care of. I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many people.

Chris Kyle was Derek's teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it. 2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field.  They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about, other than the fact that in so doing, he saved a lot of American lives.

Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did and wrote the book "The American Sniper." 100% of the proceeds from the book went to two of the SEAL families who had lost their sons in Iraq .

That was the kind of guy Chris was. He formed a company in Dallas to train military, police and I think firemen as far as protecting themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a foundation to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was a giver not a taker.  He, along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, were murdered trying to help a young man that had served six months in Iraq and claimed to have PTSD.

Now I need to tell you about all of the blessings. Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their family from any airport they flew into..free of charge.  The employees donated buddy passes and one lady worked for four days without much of a break to see that it happened.

Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive them to the hotel.   The Marriott Hotel reduced their rates to $45 a night and cleared the hotel for only SEALs and family.

The Midlothian, TX Police Department paid the $45 a night for each room. I would guess there were about 200 people staying at the hotel, 100 of them were SEALs. Two large buses were chartered (an unknown donor paid the bill) to transport people to the different events and they also had a few 
rental cars (donated). The police and secret service were on duty 24 hours during the stay at our hotel.

At the Kyle house, the Texas DPS parked a large motor home in front to block the view from reporters. It remained there the entire five days for the SEALs to congregate in and all to use the restroom so as not to have to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and both sets of parents were staying in the home.

Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they had different duties and meetings were held sometimes on a hourly basis. It was a huge coordination of many different events and security. Derek was assigned to be a Pall Bearer, to escort Chris' body when it was transferred from the Midlothian Funeral Home to the Arlington Funeral Home, and to be with Taya. A tough job.  Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The house was full with people from the church and other family members that would come each day to help. I spent one morning in a bedroom with Chris’ mom and the next morning with 

Chad Littlefield's parents (the other man murdered with Chris). A tough job.

George W Bush and his wife Laura met and talked to everyone on the Seal Team one on one. They went behind closed doors with Taya for quite a while. They had prayer with us all. You can tell when people were sincere and caring.  Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and lots of steaks, 

chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front yard and fed people all day long including the 200 SEALs and their families. The next day a local BBQ restaurant set up a buffet in front of the house and fed all once again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. The family's church kept those inside the house well fed.

Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a rock star. He made sure that we all were taken care of. His wife and he were just making sure everyone was taken care of….Class... He donated the use of Cowboy Stadium for the services as it was determined that so many wanted to attend.The charter buses transported us to the stadium on Monday at 10:30 am. Every car, bus, motorcycle was searched with bomb dogs and police. I am not sure if kooks were making threats trying to make a name for themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a security risk, I don't know. We willingly obliged. No purses went into the stadium!

We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large buffet was available. That was for about 300 people. We were growing.A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret service and 

police and Sarah Palin and her husband. She looked nice, this was a very formal military service.  The service started at 1:00 pm and when we were escorted onto the field I was shocked. We heard that about 10,000 people had come to attend also. They were seated in the stadium seats behind us. It was a beautiful and emotional service.The Bagpipe and drum corps were wonderful and the Texas A&M men's choir stood through the entire service and sang right at the end. We were all in tears.

The next day was the 200-mile procession from Midlothian, TX to Austin for burial. It was a cold, drizzly, windy day, but the people were out. We had dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom riders, five chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a pass to be in the procession and still it was huge. Two helicopters circled the procession with snipers sitting out the side door for protection. It was the longest funeral procession ever in the state of Texas. People were everywhere. The entireroute was shut down ahead of us, the people were lined up on the side of the road the entire way. Firemen were down on one knee, police officers were holding their hats over their hearts, children waving flags, veterans saluting as we went by. Every bridge had fire trucks with large flags displayed from their tall ladders, people all along the entire 200 miles were standing in the cold weather. It was so heartwarming.

Taya rode in the hearse with Chris' body so Derek rode the route with us. I was so grateful to have that time with him.

The service was at Texas National Cemetery. Very few are buried there and you have to apply to get in. It is like people from the Civil War, Medal of Honor winners, a few from the Alamo and all the historical people of Texas. It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders surrounded the outside of the entire cemetery to keep the crazy church people from Kansas that protest at military funerals away from us.

Each SEAL put his Trident (metal SEAL badge) on the top of Chris' casket, one at a time. A lot hit it in with one blow. Derek was the only one to take four taps to put his in and it was almost like he was caressing it as he did it. Another tearful moment.

After the service Governor Rick Perry and his wife, Anita, invited us to the governor's mansion. She stood at the door, greeted each of us individually, and gave each of the SEALs a coin of Texas. She was a sincere, compassionate, and gracious hostess.We were able to tour the ground floor and then went into the garden for beverages and BBQ. So many of the Seal team guys said that after they 

get out they are moving to Texas. They remarked that they had never felt so much love and hospitality. The charter buses then took the guys to the airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just now called and after a 20 hours flight he is back in his spot, in a dangerous land on the other side of the world, protecting America.
We just wanted to share with you, the events of a quite emotional, but 

blessed week.

Punch-line: To this day, no one in the White House has ever acknowledged Chris Kyle!

However, the President can call some sport person and congratulate him 
on announcing to the world that he is gay??

What is happening to our society, our honor and our pride??

April 15th ... It's Not Just Tax Day

WHAT:  Total Lunar Eclipse

WHEN: Next Tuesday morning, April 15^th, 

beginning at 3:06 a.m. and lasting 78 minutes.

Because You Never Have the Same Experience Twice

I’ll be watching.

Will you?

The Fix -- An Ode to Black Cohosh

It occurred to me that I've forgotten to follow up with my onerous hot flash posts, here and here, that I'd been struggling with since the first of the year.

I'd ordered this cream off Amazon -- Mendapause? -- that had gotten great reviews for relieving hot flashes.  For me it did absolutely NOTHING.  Waste of money.

I'd tried the NOW menopause supplement.  No help at all.

Then, lo and behold, just before my last visit with my doctor, I had begun digging deeper in my research on black cohosh and reading more reviews -- I love to read reviews.  The NOW supplement had 80 mgs of black cohosh, and since that supplement had failed, I just assumed that a black cohosh supplement would be another waste of money.  The reviews I read, however, were recommending far greater dosages for effectiveness, with reminders that it may take up to two full weeks before it begins to take effect.  In my desperation, I decided to give it a try.  I wanted my life back, and I was ready to go to the ends of the earth in search of relief.

Black cohosh did the trick.  I found MY fix.  I began taking six 540 mg gel capsules over the course of the day.  (I'm now taking three gel capsules a day.)   It took about ten days -- just as the reviews had said -- before it began making a noticeable difference, but with each passing day, my hot flashes became more and more tolerable.  Now they go almost unnoticed.  Occasionally I'll feel a bit warm or flushed, but NOTHING compared to the volcanic infernos that I was experiencing before, the sweat oozing from my pores, dripping down my back -- OMG.  It was horrible!  And at all hours, day and night, several times a day.

GONE!

I'm ecstatic to have found a cure.  I can sleep now.  I can wear winter clothes now. I don't have to be embarrassed in the courtroom at the sudden onset of a scorching hot flash.  No more running out to the back porch gasping for air in single-digit temps.  I feel normal again!!!  Even my moodiness has improved.  It's almost too good to be true.  I just hope this lasts!  An occasional meltdown?  Yeah, sure.  I can handle that.  But if this overall improvement restores my quality of life, I will never go another day without it.

Though I like reading reviews, I rarely take the time to POST reviews.  That is, unless I'm very passionate about a product.  When a product truly delivers, totally meets or exceeds my expectations, it deserves stage time.  I submitted my 5-star review to Amazon just yesterday.

I've begun to tell every middle-age woman I know about black cohosh.  And what's even better?  It's not only good for hot flashes, it packs a loaded punch for tons of other health benefits -- excerpts from this website's link here:

Black Cohosh Benefits

1.Kidney Health-Black cohosh was used by the Native Americans extensively for this purpose.
2.Rheumatism-This is another traditional use for this amazing medicinal herb.
3.To Aid in Labor-Black cohosh was used during the 1850′s by the Eclectics to help with labor and delivery.
4.Muscle Pain-There are currently several patent remedies for this containing black cohosh in Europe and Australia.
5.Sedative-Black cohosh is considered by many modern herbalists to be a sedative.
6.Coughs and Colds-Black cohosh was a common remedy of the Cherokee and the Iroquois for the treatment of these conditions.
7.Diuretic-Black cohosh extract is said by many modern practitioners to help rid the body of excess water weight.
8.Antioxidant-Black cohosh is an extremely potent antioxidant. Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radical that cause damage to cells and DNA.
9.Headaches-Black cohosh extract was used during the 1850′s by the Eclectics for the treatment of this painful condition.
10.PMS, Menstrual Pain, and Cramps-This amazing herb was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1920 for the treatment of these conditions.
11.Inflammation-Black cohosh is a general anti inflammatory. Total body inflammation is now being recognized as a factor in many diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
12.Menopausal Symptoms-Black cohosh has shown significant benefits for almost every symptom related to menopause. A study conducted showed that after only 4 weeks of treatment with black cohosh, study participants showed improvements in almost all parameters of menopausal symptoms. No black cohosh side effects were reported. After 8 weeks, all symptoms were gone in approximately 50% of the patients, and were very much improved in 40% of the patients. Overall improvement rates ranged from 76% to 93% of patients

Autumn Winterrupted

Superstorm Sandy, the most devastating storm to hit in decades - maybe ever? - has left horror and destruction in its path.  For a storm menacing enough to close the New York Stock Exchange for two consecutive days for the first time in over 100 years, the first happening as a result of the blizzard of 1888?  Rampant fires, flooding, destructive winds and rain, record snows, far and widespread power outages, lives and homes lost, mass transits flooded out, cars scattered like leaves ... the list goes on and on, the cost of the storm incalculable.  The photos I've seen depict the horrors of the storm's aftermath with haunting reality.

The mountains of West Virginia saw record snows for this time of year, but the Mountaineers of WV know how to deal with heavy snowstorms.  Most were spared the kinds of destruction seen further north.  My heart goes out especially to the victims of New Jersey and New York, those hardest hit.  I pray for their comfort, healing, protection, and restoration to a somewhat normal life.

Our power flickered several times throughout the day.  I got up at my usual time to discover the unexpected falling snow accumulating quickly.  I took a few photos.  The announcement came that schools would be closed for the day, so I let my son sleep.  I had proceeded with my morning workout, my shower, my normal routine, until learning that trees were down throughout my community, on the roads, and the snow was piling up quickly.  I texted my office and was told that court was cancelled, to stay put.  Luckily I had my laptop and I could still work from home on transcripts.

While working on transcripts, sipping coffee and listening to the relaxing music of Winter Sonata on Pandora, I found myself constantly peeking at my open browser at the updates and photos of the storm's path.  Horrible.  Frightening.  Grateful that I still had power, warmth, the protection of my home.

My heart hurts as I think about friends who live in the path of those hardest hit by this storm.  Are you okay?  I wish I could talk to you.  I need to know.

When does life return to normal for the victims after this unseasonal interruption with Mother Nature?  We wait and see.

My favorite season, robbed of its glory by the interruption of winter weather.  An event to remember for years to come ...

Blue Moon Coming Soon

DON'T MISS IT

No Power, No Fun

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. Friday evening, our area (and surrounding states) was hit by a monster wind storm, unprecedented, so they say.  Uprooted trees, roofs, buildings, etc.  Tornado like winds, widespread damage and power outages.  And at all times -- in 100+ degree temperatures.

In fact, the temperature hit 108 on Friday afternoon, just hours before the storm hit.

Thankfully, no one was hurt.  We lost a shutter off the front of the house, and two HUGE limbs out of two maple trees came crashing down, landing safely in the lawn, rather than on our home -- or car, or bystander!

We were without power -- WITHOUT A.C. -- for the entire weekend.  52+ hours of sweltering heat and no A.C.

We lost all the perishable food in both our frig and freezers.

We had to sleep on the back porch just to be able to breathe...sort of.

Long lines and shortages everywhere for miles:

No gas.

No ice.

No power.

Thank goodness I am always stocked with lots of candles.  They came in handy.

Totally miserable weekend.

Our county courthouse was closed today, many people STILL without power.

I was able to finally catch up today with chores, laundry.  Cleaned and sanitized the refrigerator and freezers, then set out to restock our groceries.

I'm exhausted.

Weekends are supposed to be the time to recharge, unwind.  Have fun?

Fun?  Not.

Just glad -- so VERY glad -- it's over.

The Traveler's Gift

I recently just finished reading a book loaned to me by a friend,

  "The Traveler's Gift," 

by Andy Andrews.

"A Little Treasure of Wisdom for Life."

This is a must read.

Everyone should read this book.  

Everyone. 

Just do it.

I want to buy a copy for everyone I know 

and insist that they read it.

I give it a:

One of the "inside cover" reviews:

I have already decided that I'm buying each of my sons a copy of this book.  And it will be on my list for "hard to buy for people."  You just can't lose with this one.

Happy Birthday, Oreo!

The Oreo turns 100 today.  One hundred years of yummy goodness. 

I can remember growing up with Oreos.  Loved dipping them in milk, waiting until just the right amount of sogginess, then letting them dissolve into my mouth.  That was MY favorite way of eating them.

I never much liked twisting them open first.  I preferred the BLEND of the two flavors together.

A little black, a little white.  A perfect marriage of sweetness.

I liked stacking them, seeing how many I could stack before they'd fall over.




How has the Oreo impacted my world?

Well, I can remember their comforting me in my misery while lying in the bathtub, covered to my neck in an oatmeal and Aveeno bath, suffering from a horrible outbreak of adult chickenpox while seven months pregnant.  (There wasn't an inch of my body, it seems, that wasn't covered in itchy, stinging, oozing chicken pox!) 

I was miserable, and the only way that I felt comfortable was covered to my neck in an Aveeno bath.  I distinctly remember laying there, eating Oreo after Oreo -- yes, while in the bathtub -- worrying myself to death over what effect my chickenpox might have on my unborn child. (My doctor gently informed me that a baby could potentially be born blind if the mother was infected with chickenpox during pregnancy!) *

Oreo after Oreo, crunch after crunch, until alas they were all gone.

I had eaten the entire bag.  All.By.Myself.

Calories were the least of my concerns.

(* Incidentally, my son was born with perfect eyesight, Praise the Lord!  It was my first question, as soon as I gave birth in the delivery room, "Can he see?  Can he see!"  And everyone assured me he was as healthy as can be -- and continues to be to this day. )

I remember mushing them up in vanilla ice cream as a kid.  Later...the "Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard" is born.

Since then I have discovered the recipe for infamous Dirt Balls made with Oreos, cream cheese, and coated in chocolate.  Always a huge hit at any party, and my son's favorite dessert at Christmas.

It's odd that Oreos are one of the most popular cookies in the world, with over 95 million sold every day, yet no one seems to know where they came from or how they got their name.

Alas, the long forgotten history of the cookie boasting the most significant reputation all across world.

Oreo Lovers Unite. 

Long Live the Oreo.