I believe in good lives lived well such as Carol and Clay Vice of Portsmouth, Ohio ... SamKat

Do you Believe?

"The pessimist complains about the wind;   the optimist expects it to change;   the realist adjusts the sails." I Believe... That we don't have to change friends if We understand that friends change. I Believe... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.  Same goes for true love. I Believe... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I Believe... That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I Believe... That you should always leave loved ones with Loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I Believe... That you can keep going long after you think you can't. I Believe... That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I Believe... That either you control your attitude or it controls you. I Believe... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done, when it needs to be done,  regardless of the consequences. I Believe... That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I Believe... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up. I Believe... That sometimes, when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I Believe... That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had And what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. I Believe... That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.  Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I Believe... That no matter how bad your heart is broken,  the world doesn't stop for your grief. I Believe... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become. I Believe... Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I Believe... That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. I Believe... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon. I Believe... That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in. I just did. 'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything they have.'

What about this mountain biker! Let's plan this trip, Lyle S! Not!

What an adventurer, This Macaster1  What a bike!  What tires! 

Don't try this anybody without great skill and experience!

Thx Lyle S!

The Ridge 

What about this Mountain Biker?

7분짜리 동영상, 대단합니다!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xQ_IQS3VKjA

 

 

 skegley.kegley@gmail.com

Texas patriots tribute to Chris Kyle American Sniper ... Thx Ramey H!

This is why America will remain strong.  We take care of our own as well as others who may not  deserve to be taken care of.  *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 SEAL's 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 SEAL's.  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 SEAL's 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 SEAL's 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 SEAL's 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 SEAL's 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 entire route 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 SEAL's 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?  Or say that someone shot by police in the line of duty, would make him a good son.  What the hell is happening to our society, our honor and our pride??

Please keep this moving

Cup of tea ... Thx Marge r!

Cup of Tea 

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me. 

 

 

 

 I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift and it was one of my favorite toys.

 Daddy was in the living room en grossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.

 My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up.  Then she says, as only a mother would know.  "Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet."

What the supposed federal reps call our SS ... Thx Marge R!

Did you know this?  I certainly did not.  Once again, our beloved Congressmen are playing fast and loose with vernacular.  What motive did they have for changing the name of our Social Security?  I'm sure they have a plan, and it won't be to our betterment.   SS CHECKS!   Here we go.   JUST REALIZED THAT WITH REQUIRED AUTO DEPOSIT, YOU NEVER GET TO SEE THE CHECK....ALERT EVERYONE YOU KNOW. THIS AFFECTS ALL OF US.   SOCIAL SECURITY becomes FEDERAL BENEFIT CHECK   Have you noticed, the Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a *"Federal Benefit Payment*"?   I'll be part of the one percent to forward this.  I am forwarding it because it touches a nerve in me, and I hope it will in you.   Please keep passing it on until everyone in our country has  read it.   The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a *"Federal Benefit Payment ".   *This isn't a benefit.  It is our money paid out of our earned income!  Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too.  It totaled 15% of our income before taxes . If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 Invested in Social Security.   If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security( $375/month, including both you and your employers contributions) at a meager 1% Interest  rate compounded monthly, after  40 years of working you'd have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved!   This is your personal investment.  Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month.   That's almost three times more than today's average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. (Google it it’s a fact).   And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you're 98 if you retire at age 65)! I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government  had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.   Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger *Ponzi scheme* than Bernie Madoff ever did.   They took our money and used it elsewhere. They forgot (oh yes, they knew) that it was OUR money they were taking.  They didn't have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them.  And they didn't pay interest on the debt they assumed.  And recently they've told us that the money won't support us for very much longer.  (Isn't it funny that they NEVER say this about  welfare payments?)   But is it our fault they misused our investments?  And now, to add insult to injury, they're calling it a *benefit*, as if we never worked to earn every penny of it.   Just because they borrowed the money doesn't mean that our investments were a charity!   Let's take a stand.  We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare.  Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government.   Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it.   *Then call it what it is: *Our Earned Retirement Income*. *   99% of people won't forward this.  Will you?

People (11) Nita Elliott

The story of Rudolph ... Thx friends of Garret S and Gary as well.!

From:"Paul and Nan Stephenson" <paul.nan.stephenson@gmail.com> Date:Thu, Jan 1, 2015 at 11:04 AM Subject:Re: Rudolph >> >>>> The True Story of >>>> >>>> Rudolph >>>>    A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. >>>> >>>> His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. >>>> >>>> Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" >>>>  Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. >>>>  It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. >>>>  Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at MontgomeryWards during the Great Depression. >>>>  Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938. >>>> >>>> Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! >>>>  Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story,embellishing it more with each telling. >>>>  Who was the character? What was the story all about? >>>>  The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. >>>>  Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. >>>>  But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. >>>>  Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-NosedReindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. >>>>  By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than >>>> six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major >>>> publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book. >>>> >>>> In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. >>>>  The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with agrowing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either. >>>> >>>> Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and DinahShore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, >>>> with the exception of "White Christmas." >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing. >>>>    MERRY CHRISTMAS >>>> >>>> Enjoy life...  it has an >>>> >>>> expiration >>>> >>>> date! >>> -- >>> James G. Moore, PE >>> PO Box 572 >>> Piketon, OH  45661 >>> Tel:  740-776-6500 >>> Mobile:  740-370-8203 >>> > > -- > James G. Moore, PE > PO Box 572 > Piketon, OH  45661 > Tel:  740-776-6500 > Mobile:  740-370-8203 >

Friends of different species ... Thx Nana and Marge R!

These photos are so wonderful and lovin'!       A black swan feeding fish at a public park.         After a devastating forest fire, fire rescue ran out of crates for the animals saved from the blazes.   This fawn and baby bobcat were placed together in the office. Hours later, firemen noticed They'd taken a liking to one another and cuddled for the duration they were kept together.         A duck and house cat raised together by a family. Supposedly the duck hates water and hasn't   Figured out yet that it can fly.         A wild life park in China adopted two tiger cubs, which were soon adopted by a worker's dog   That happened to be in the pen frequently.         The Fernandez family adopted a tiger cub after he lost his family. He's been raised with the family   Dog since youth and they are inseparable.         A five week old boar plays with Candy, the jack Russell terrier in Ehringhausen , Germany .         Humphrey was a house pet that became too large and was moved to the Rhino and Lion Nature   Reserve in South Africa , where he was safe but lonely. Cameroon Pygmy Mountain Goat climbed   Humphrey's enclosure fence and befriended him.         Sobe the iguana and Johann the cat were both rescued by a woman in Brooklyn , NY . Every day   When the iguana is let out of her cage, she seeks out Johann for play time, along with a rabbit also   Kept as a pet.         Everyone knows who Koko the gorilla that speaks sign language is. For her birthday one year,   She signed to her teacher that she wanted a kitten. Koko's teacher wasn't surprised, as Koko's two   Favorite books were about cats. They adopted one from an abandoned litter and Koko showed it   Tender care and gentleness.         A lioness abandoned by her pack decides to adopted a baby impala after killing its mother. Several   Times, she tried to leave the baby in the company of other impalas, but ended up having to take the   Baby back under her wing after the adult impalas were frightened away by her         A giraffe and ostrich form an odd friendship at Busch Garden 'S in Florida ..         A baby impala was left behind after the rest of its group ran away from the cheetahs. Instead of   Preying on the impala, they played gently with it a bit before simply getting bored and leaving it.         Owls that hatched at a hawk conservatory were adopted by the park keeper and became friends   With his pet dog.             After a family took in this stray cat, she grew fond of their elderly dog. Realizing the dog was blind,   The cat took on the responsibility of leading the dog to his water, food, shade, and toys. She would   Follow closely under his chin to guide him.         A stray cat wandered into this Asiatic bear's enclosure at the Berlin Zoo. It's been coming back   Frequently for 10 years to visit its friend.         This pair have been seen together for over a year in Lake Van , Turkey . They were first spotted by local   Fisherman who witnessed them sharing a fish and playing together.         At the TIGERS institute in South Carolina , a chimp raises tiger cubs after they were separated from   Their mother.         A photographer witnessed a wild polar bear coming upon tethered sled dogs in the wilderness of   Canada 's Hudson Bay . Instead of devouring the dogs, they played and cuddled. The polar bear returned   Every night that week.         Other examples of strange and improbable animal friendships:                                                         Hope you enjoyed these photos as much as I did as they are priceless.  I try to figure out why adults and countries cannot get along like animals!       Maybe we just have to re-learn our need to love one another no matter the species.

People (5) kanzurem