Some of the stories are hilarious. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. All of the stories are true.Most people think of the funeral business as being very subdued where words are spoken in hushed tones and those who work in it are best described as “somber.” Like almost everything else in life, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.How could the station wagon used to pick up bodies just vanish? What did the waitress at the drive-in really think was in the back of the car? Why did the woman driving a Cadillac stop in the middle of the busy street in front of the funeral home and start screaming obscenities? How did a woman’s panties end up inside a casket?The answers to these questions and other interesting tales are found on the pages of Casket Chronicles.

    For an intelligence analyst without SEAL training, it can be traumatic. Navy Lieutenant (JG) Lee Toliver, Naval Academy Graduate, Linguist and Middle East Polyglot, is assigned to Trident, an Office of Naval Intelligence group dedicated to Naval Special Warfare Command. Having survived injuries from a suicide bombing in London, and almost a year in and out of Brooke Military Burn Center in Texas, he is ready to get his career back on track and anticipating his introduction to the SEAL Team he will support. American born linguists fluent in Middle East languages are in short supply and always in demand. His fluency in Pashto brought him to the attention of Detachment Bravo of SEAL Team 2 deploying to Bagram, Afghanistan. But Lee was also fluent in several dialects of Arabic. Seal Team 3 was raging across Anbar Province in Iraq, and in 2006, Ramadi is back on the radar for a major operation. Lee is about to find out that deploying with a SEAL Team has only a passing acquaintance with intelligence office work. In SEAL Team direct action ops, interpreters and interrogators are needed outside the wire as much as inside. Going kinetic, is a term he will come to understand intimately.

    Sherry Rupke of SwissRidge Kennels was the first breeder to deliberately cross Bernese Mountain Dogs and Poodles. Rupke loved everything about the Bernese, except for the short-lived breed’s genetic propensity for cancer. Plus it sheds. And it can be a little stubborn. Rupke decided to add Poodle to the hybrid equation to create an intelligent, lively, healthy and low- to non-shedding dog. Over the past decade, she’s built her Bernedoodle program with care to ensure that each scrupulously health-checked breeding dog has an impeccable pedigree, a calm temperament, and great conformation. Bernedoodles: A Head to Tail Guide takes readers on a journey from Rupke’s early days of breeding purebred dogs to establishing her highly successful hybrid program. This comprehensive, easy-to-read and entertaining book also covers everything you need to know about finding the right breeder and puppy, to caring for your Bernedoodle. You’ll discover the best training techniques for Bernedoodles (and any dog) from Rupke’s partner, Lucas Mucha. Anecdotes from owners of SwissRidge Bernedoodles, along with stunning photos, are likely to convince you that this fun, fun, affectionate, and allergy-friendly hybrid is the perfect companion dog.

    I was being brave, although inside I felt very scared; absolutely petrified. My body felt battered, well the bits I could feel did. The rest felt dead. Two thirds of me was dead." This is the incredible battle to rebuild a life that was shattered in a split second. When Claire was 27 she suffered a devastating spinal injury in a freak accident whilst eventing. In April 2012 Claire made worldwide headlines when she walked the London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit taking 17 days. 'FINDING MY FEET' is the moving true story of how one determined, courageous young woman had to fight through the darkest days to go on and have the best days of her life. Claire has already raised over £300,000 to help find a cure for paralysis, and this book will help provide more vital funds for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. "Claire is a distillation of all that we should find motivational- intensely driven, positive and an achiever despite the horrendous times which she has had to endure" Sir Matthew Pinsent "Claire has to be the most incredible person I have ever met. She simply lights up a room. To think of the difficulties she has had to overcome is mind blowing. She is an absolute inspiration to us all" Melanie C "Claire is a force of nature. Give her a challenge that seems impossible and she will smash it to bits. She knows no limits, sets no boundaries and never takes 'no' for an answer. Unless you ask her 'have you finished?' In which case, 'no' is the answer because she is never finished." Clare Balding

    

    For generations, all enterprises in India have been launched with an invocation of His name. He is called the Vinayak - God of Endeavors, Vighneshwar - the Remover of Obstacles. Perhaps the most adored of all in the Indian Pantheon, Ganesha is the God that best represents India - benevolent, wise and noble. Come with us on a journey to witness the origins of a God, a timeless tale of an inanimate golem crafted from primordial clay by Uma, the all-mother. His innocent bravado in defying Shiva, the mightiest of the Gods and even giving up his life to uphold a simple promise he made to his mother, the twist of fate that intertwines his destiny with another and the 'rebirth' of the two as they become one.

    Whether that destination is called Heaven, Nirvana, or simply The Other Side, tradition teaches us that there is, in most cases, a fairy-tale ending to life, a place where joy and harmony reigns supreme. Yet, as this book attests there is still more to heaven and earth than is dreamt of in our philosophies.George Anderson is considered by many to be the greatest medium living today. After more than 50 years of hearing from souls who have transitioned to the world hereafter, he is constantly reminded by those who have passed that our preconceived notions of this life--and the next--aren't always accurate. The nine stories in this book illuminate times when unusual circumstances such as sudden death, unresolved emotions, abusive relationships, and painful family dynamics, make it necessary for the dead and the living to find new doors to healing.In session with Anderson, survivors and those who have passed meet again in encounters that are profound, bittersweet, highly-emotional and sometimes, downright, funny. What we learn is that there are little-known spiritual treasures--and lessons to be learned--about heaven and earth that can restore, revitalize, and make new what was once broken.Life Between Heaven and Earth is an inspiring, thought-provoking, path-changing work, one that affirms that no matter how complicated a circumstance is, resolution, peace and acceptance can be found in deep and remarkable ways.