Suicide Prevention

I just returned from Shelton, WA and the Mason County Suicide Prevention Training hosted by Sheriff Casey Salisbury. Bob Douglas, executive director and founder of the National Police Suicide Foundation was the main speaker. He gave me the opportunity to speak before a group of law enforcement officers concerning my book, Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors." It was a great opportunity for me since law enforcement, first responders and the military are my passion on the subject of suicide. It was a large group of men and women, very friendly and easy to talk with. In fact, I met a man who was stationed at Bangor Naval Base the same time as Matt. He wasn't sure if he had met Matt but thought he recognized the name. It was so fun meeting everyone. Sheriff Salisbury was like my new best friend; we had lunch together and  he kept saying how he knew he had met me but couldn't figure out where. It turned out to be the Law Enforcement Academy graduation in Burien. A friendship developed with his beautiful mother as well. I also met three officers from Salem, Oregon. Great ladies. One I had met several weeks earlier on the phone. This training was to teach this law enforcement  officers how to recognize those contemplating suicide and to help them. It was pro-active training about early warning signs, how to communicate with a suicidal officer, and the issues and responsibilities of officers and agencies when a suicide occurs.Of course, my area was as a survivor and how to break the Blue Wall of Silence. As a survivor I do not want anyone to go through what I live on a daily basis. Suicide affects so many people who are left behind: mother, father, siblings, nieces, nephews, grandparents, law enforcement families, military families, church family, friends and the list goes on and on........We all need to work together to stop suicide and help one another.

Fall is Fast Approaching

Fall is fast approaching and I am not ready for it. I love summer and the heat but I guess I don't have a choice. We have had a great summer minus the multiple rain, wind and thunder and lightening storms. With fall approaching I find myself busier than ever with Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors. I have had multiple successful book signings and now I am onto interviewing and being interviewed. I had the privilege to interview the Chief of Patrol for Chelan County Sheriff's Office, Mike Harris, for my four hour presentation. I did a ride-along with him with the camera rolling. There were times of oops.....followed by laughter as we each lost our train of thought. Multiple takes and back to work we both went. Later, I received a glowing testimony of their marriage from Chief Mike's wife, Bets, who was unable to be at the video session.  A huge thank you to both of them. Thursday I will be interviewed by Chris Hansen of KPQ radio during the  It's ok to talk segment. Saturday I will be at Saddlerock EPC speaking and discussing Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors. Next week I head out to speak with a fantastic man, Robert Douglas, Executive Director of the National Police Suicide Foundation. Into October I will be speaking at the Faith Lutheran Church. Hastings will have me signing again October 12. I have many different things going so there is a lot of preparation involved.

9/11

It has been twelve years since 9/11. I will never forget that tragic day. ALWAYS REMEMBERING.

Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors

Saturday, August 17, 2013, I will be signing Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors, at Hastings Bookstore, 315 9th Street in Wenatchee, WA. The event is from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. I hope you all will stop by, This may be a good time for you to pick up a copy of Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors. It is back to school time and that can be a hard time for some. There is the ever present bullying, which we are all trying to stop, and those who are lonely, sad and broken. Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors discusses some of these pressures. There are true stories in my book from those who have been bullied, considered or attempted suicide and those who spoke up and were saved from such tragedies. Matt's Last Call...is a Biography & Autobiography/ Law Enforcement, Self-Help/ Death, Grief, Bereavement. Start the year off with a easy read book and help save a life. Please bring a friend or two!

Fire

I may have mentioned last fall that we had some devastating fires in our valley. There have been many fires this year around our country including one going on right now called the Colockum Tarps fire. As of yesterday morning it had grown to 42,663 according to the Wenatchee World. This morning it was stated on Q13 News that it was over 62,000 acres. This started probably 10 miles or so from our house. Thank goodness it went SW and is now past the Crescent Bar area and into  Kittitas County. My husband and I decided to take a ride to Crescent Bar this morning to check out this fire. The fire started just south of Rock Island Dam. There were no flames but there were several large areas which were still smoking. I talked with one lady who had boated down around the corner yesterday and she said it burned all the way to the river and now the flames are going back over the mountains. Luckily it is mostly brush. In the early morning of the beginning of the fire there were three homes destroyed. Hopefully that is all. We are expecting thunder and lightening the rest of the week and more wind! Pray for the safety of our firefighters, law enforcement and all those involved. Those of us who are old enough to remember James Taylor might recall that he wrote a song with the lyric, "Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call, and I'll be there yes I will, you've got a friend . . ." Hopefully, you can be that friend who looks out after at least one other human being no matter what they are going through. Be there for them--everybody needs somebody!

Friends Provided by God

Throughout the journey of dealing with the death of my son, Matt, I have met many concerned Law Enforcement Officers. My name is getting out so these people contact me in the aftermath of suicides and the survivors who are hurting. I just recently met a law enforcement officer who got in touch with me concerning someone who had lost a loved one to suicide. She is fantastic and I am helping her help someone who isn't quite ready to call me. It is amazing how our God works and the new friends I have met through my tragedy. If we don't talk about suicide then the Stigma of Suicide will remain. With God's help and with the help of my new law enforcement friends I think we can help turn the tide and provide hope for those contemplating this act.

Childhood Friends

Three days with two childhood friends turned out more fun than we ever expected. Teresa from Bellingham, mother of many adopted trans-racial children, Pat from Vancouver, my original editor for Matt's Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors , before Tate Publishing took over and an excellent quilter, and me from Wenatchee had planned this trip for a while. One of Teresa's adopted daughters, Angela, has found her birth parents. Along with her adopted family and Angela's husband, Bryan, they set out to meet her birth family. Bryan filmed the entire event and now a documentary, Closure is complete. That was the purpose of the trip, to see the film. More on that to follow. Our plans were made by Teresa and we were going to stay in a hotel. Teresa was telling her husband about our plans and when she got to the hotel part he said no! Not a good area. He proceeded to call a client of his who happened to have a houseboat on Lake Union. SCORE!!! We were thrilled especially when we all arrived within 30 minutes of each other Saturday around noon. It was a beautiful houseboat. Those of you who know Seattle know the weather isn't always the greatest. Well, it was hot, perfectly blue sky, no need for sweaters OR long pants in the evening. It was very close to the boathouse which was in the movie, Sleepless In Seattle . We hung out for a while and then walked across the Fremont bridge where we had lunch at the Red Door outside on the deck. We wandered around catching up on what we had all been doing. Sunday we did a little shopping and had lunch at Ray's Boat House. Angela joined us for lunch on the deck. We watched the yacht's going by, ski boats, crew, paddle boarders - a perfectly beautiful day in Seattle and Lake Union. Lots of pictures and enjoying one another. Back to Closure. It is a documentary of a trans-racial adoptee who finds her birthmother, and meets the rest of a family who did not know she existed. A story of identity, the complexities of trans-racial adoption, and most importantly, Closure. We attended the film Sunday evening. It is a very touching story. Many emotions and in the end there is a lot more to know and learn. Bryan did an excellent job on the film as did Angela and Teresa. No one could have scripted this documentary. You can see Closure at Pickford Film Center on July 13 @ 4 pm or Limelight July 14 @ 7pm in Bellingham. This documentary has been at the film festival in San Francisco, Colorado and they are headed to Las Vegas. A long list of places but I don't have those times or places. Pat , Teresa and I grew up in Wenatchee. Pat was 2 and I was 9 months and Teresa 7 months when we moved to the same block. We have been friends ever since. It was a great trip and thanks to David's ( Teresa's husband) friend the houseboat made the trip extra special. God is really working through Angela and Bryan and I see many good things coming  the documentary Closure. Congratulations to Angela and Bryan, Teresa and the rest of the people involved. Mr and Mrs Something is a couple who wrote and sang a couple songs in the film. Fabulous couple with great voices and talent.