I guessed we were late. We were in the car right behind the family of the fallen though. Maybe I just did not understand the protocol. We were walking to the grave sight. I had Mrs. Hat’s hand in my right and my left arm around the only sister of a fallen hero. Her brother, in his Marine Dress Blues was already by the grave, He had ridden with the casket. We were walking down the little dirt road that goes through the cemetery. We were close to the big black Tennessee walker horse. He had boots reversed in the stirrups and was dancing and restive.

We had passed miles of flashing lights along the way from the chapel. Police and fire and rescue vehicles paying silent homage to a fallen hero. There were uniforms of every description in all directions. I was one of the few in a black suit. I was not the only one in a cowboy hat. Not by a long ways. There were dozens of Texas State Troopers there. They still wear cowboy hats to work, too.

We were all heading from different directions to the little faded green awning that would shelter the family at the grave sight. Then some man with lungs of brass yelled loudly and with awesome authority into the stillness and grief.

ATTENTION!!

Every single one of us froze in place. We stood tall and straight and stared in the man’s direction.

Waiting.

Frozen.

He bellowed again.

PRESENT…ARMS!!

Those bearing weapons slowly and solemnly gave the military salute. The few of us who were unarmed and bearing only our grief slowly saluted with our right hand over our heart.

The coffin was then carried slowly, reverently toward the grave.

We all stood there at attention, paying final honors to a fallen hero.

Presenting arms.

That was when the bagpipes began. Two bagpipers, in full kilt, had been standing unnoticed on the far side of the simple country cemetery. From anywhere you were standing in that place, if you looked to the west, you could see that big black horse with the boots reversed in the stirrups and beyond him the two bagpipers, facing each other, playing Amazing Grace.

We all of us stood there in silence. Many of us weeping.

Presenting Arms.

Truly freedom is not free. The cost is at times almost unbearable.

Honor a veteran this day.

PRESENT…ARMS!!

Old Hat

Thursday was a difficult day. Bad news seemed to come from all directions at once and it just kept coming. The news; cell phone; texts; emails; private messages; status updates on Facebook.

We did what we could in regards to each bit of news as it came in. We offered comfort where we could and wisdom where we had any. We sent kind words and electronic hugs and lots of love. We prayed a lot.

We also changed our schedule. We got out of the house. It was a hassle and we were perpetually running late. It would have been easier to just sit home and wait by the phone. But we have learned in a very hard school that life goes on and we have determined to go on, too.

We also decided not to spend any time slaving in the kitchen for supper. Who knew what would happen next? We decided to eat dinner out. Not just a burger this time either. We went to the steak house. Go big or go home, I always say. We laughed with the waitress. We threw peanut shells in the floor and blew our diet and had all the fun we could find. Because we have learned in a very hard school that there is always time for the tears. You have to make time for the laughter. We did that.

We came home to more bad news. Shocking and unexpected news from a good friend about a good friend. I struggled to read the news to Mrs Hat through my tears. I seemed to have lost the hang of Thursdays.

I posted a blog about the last piece of bad news and I thank you all for responding with so much love and kindness. I have truly the best friends.

As I hit submit, Mrs. Hat and the poodle came by my office on the way out for the poodles evening constitutional. I said something as they passed but nobody heard me. Mrs. Hat had been on the exercise bike and still had her earphones on with her best bike riding music still playing. I got up and followed them out.

We have been seeing a lot of coyote here lately. They are much too brazen to be this close to the house. I am afraid they might develop a taste for fluffy French poodle. I trust Mrs. Hat to handle just about anything and she is mostly back to normal, but I think if a poodle snatching coyote needs to be run down and killed I should do it myself. So I followed them out.

I walked off the porch and a down the sidewalk to the mailbox. Mrs. Hat stopped about halfway and looked all around. Then she turned to me and I walked to her and she stepped into my arms. She took one of her ear pieces and placed it in my ear so we were sharing the iPod and enjoying one of our favorite songs. It was a live concert version we were there for. We listened for a moment and held each other tight. The most natural thing in the world for us to do was start dancing.

We danced there in the moonlight. Together. We have learned in a very hard school that the best way to receive bad news is together. We have learned in that very hard school that dancing almost always helps.

Dancing in the moonlight with my girl soothes my soul.

Old Hat

The iced tea maker died last night. The last batch of tea was not drinkable despite the valiant gasping effort by the poor, dying machine. Funeral arrangements have yet to be made.

I noticed this morning that I only have one coffee filter left. How does something like that sneak up on a man like me? I have no idea.

I am the kind of fellow that will go to Wal-Mart when I am out of coffee filters just to buy coffee filters. While I am there I will pick up a new iced tea maker. I would never go just for a tea maker though.

I installed new energy saver fluorescent light bulbs in the porch area. They seem to get brighter all night long. They start out kind of anemic, but after an hour or so they are amazingly bright.

The light fixture over the dining room table was down to one bulb lit and two bulbs dead. One of them has been out for several years. I have not been able to get the old bulb out and for technical reasons I am unable to replace the fixture. I have tried. Last night, for some reason, the long dead bulb came out. We now have three brightly shining bulbs over our dinner table. Wonderful!

I am drinking coffee out of a hotel mug that I did not steal. This is the only hotel mug I have that can be said about. =) We were staying in San Antonio. Six people in one room. One bathroom. Toilet clogged. Called and asked to have a plumber come up. No plumber. They did have a plunger available though and no empty rooms to offer us. I became the hotel plumber. I even had to march down and get the plunger myself. The next morning they brought me a nice coffee mug filled with candy to express their amazement at my plumbing skills.

The Pope, I am sad to report, has never written me back. I know he is busy and does not read English, but I was really hoping…

The right side pedal keeps falling off of the recumbent stationary bike. The very expensive recumbent stationary bike. I need to find out how to permanently fix that irritating problem. Mrs. Hat is riding up a storm these days. The doctor’s parting words were “vigorously pumping blood does not clot. She took that very seriously.

Mrs. Hat is doing very well. She is back to almost all of her pre clot activities. I am still doing the laundry though. Whenever I mention that she might be able now to take back that chore she has a relapse of sorts.

The touch screen on my cell phone only works in certain places. This leads to some funny mistakes sometimes.

I spent Halloween evening handing out water bottles at a friend’s house in a nearby neighborhood. I had a blast. I saw a dozen kids that I have coached in one sport or another. My, how they do grow up. Some I did not know by name until I saw their mom or dad. I told them it was because their costume was so awesome.

The new mailbox is working fine.

I need to buy a new laptop, but I just cannot bring myself to part with that much money right now.

We have had a week with no rain but we are still under a flash flood watch. This has been the wettest October in my memory.

I am delighted to report that the new crock pot worked like a charm. I will happily be having pork roast sandwiches all week.

It is my month on lock up duty at the church. So if I get overzealous and you get locked in…call me.

I am off and running and running off.

Have a great Wednesday!

Old Hat