"Further Than Yesterday, That's All That Counts" - A Book Review

Medric "Cous" Cousineau, SC, CD, Captain Retired, RCAF should be called the Robin Williams of the Canadian Forces.

I have had the honour of knowing Medric and his wife Jocelyn Cousineau for a number of years.
My first time meeting this man was at the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby Nova Scotia.
He was performing magic tricks. Everyone called him "Sea Dawg the Magic Man".

On the outside, this very large and jovial man came across as a class clown kind of guy. But his eyes held a look of something hidden, blocked off, almost dead unless he was speaking from a place of anger, the laughter he made everyone else experience never seemed to reach his eyes.

Like Robin Williams, Cous brought joy and laughter to others lives, but privately he was dying an emotional death.

Cous's book, "Further Than Yesterday, That's All That Counts" is a real, raw and detailed look at military service. It chronicles his time in the Canadian Forces and the harrowing sea rescue that he and his comrades under took. The one that sent him into the abyss.

I found it very difficult to read Cous's book. I'd pick it up, read a bit and then have to put it down again, but it kept drawing me back.

His descriptions of the horrifying painfulness of PTSD, are so bang on, so poignant and that's why this read captivated me and repelled me all at the same time.

His style of describing the demon called PTSD, draws you in, makes you feel the darkness, the hurt, the anguish. He makes you feel and understand the devastation that PTSD wreaked on his family.

But it does far more than that.

It gives one hope.

Cous's service dog "Thai" has shown not only Medric and his family, but an entire nation the healing power of unconditional love.

Of all of the things a service dog does to enriched the life of its handler and their family, that unconditional love is probably the most profound.  This dog turned the lights on in Medric's head and heart and gave him a sense of purpose in his life, a renewed mission if you will.

That mission? To get others to understand and appreciate the life rejuvenating gift of service dogs.

This book is a must read for anyone whose life is touched by military service.

Get the book here: www.furtherthanyesterday.com

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider



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The "Wailing Wall" A Book Review

The "Wailing Wall" by Deedra Climer is an examination of one woman's life and all of its turbulence.

Deedra Climer is a woman like so many others.

She lived a life that brought her to emotional places, dark emotional places.

Raw and poignant this short, 89 page book is anything but a light read. From the first page, she sucks you into her life.

Raised by a single teenage mother who suffered a brain injury after a car crash when she was only 1 year old, Deedra lived in a drug addled and neglectful environment.

Physical love was a substitution for the emotional love she was denied as a child. As she put it "There was always someone who wanted me, at least for a little while."

Although she herself repeats the cycle and becomes a teenaged mother, she was determined to become a different parent from her mother.

Having a child out of wedlock in Memphis Tennessee in the mid 60's, the young Deedra was ill prepared her for how hard it would be raising a Mullato baby girl named Kimberly with a hearing impairment.

Her brief marriage to an illegal Mexican immigrant produced a son named Joshua, and an abusive relationship with a man named Ramon produces another girl, Claudia.

Finally she finds a loving relationship, marries and moves to Michigan. Things start looking brighter, but life has another body blow or two waiting for this woman. When her son Joshua dies in a motorcycle crash, she is forced to go back to Memphis and it is there that she relieves her life in her mind's eye.

Loosing her son at the tender age of 23, she takes you through the wild ride that is the grieving and self examination process.

Deedra Climer, tells her life story in painful detail that pulls you in.
She makes you feel it all, the raw pain, the fierce love and pride, the extreme anger, confusion and feelings of being inept and conflicted. The "Wailing Wall" is a life's story worth reading for if nothing else, you discover your own empathy.

Wailing Wall: A Mother's Memoir by Deedra Climer  is published through Inkshares

Calling all moms, dads and grandparents...

Many in the riding community love to pass on their passion for motorcycling to their children, grand children, nieces and nephews.

And as we all know, its great to start them out when they are young.

"Bikers are Animals" is a series of children's books geared towards the little one who is curious about motorcycles and loves animals.

The creator of the series, Paul Jamiol is a world renowned cartoonist who has been riding for the better part of 40 years.

Paul got sick of hearing the term "Bikers are Animals" used in the pejorative sense - and decided to turn his love of motorcycling into a series of children's books with subtle but strong, values messages.

His latest book; "Bikers are Animals 4" is all about working and riding.

The colorful characters in the book talk about their parents, their grand parents and other adults in their life and what their jobs are.  It's almost like show and tell at school!

Each child animal introduces their adult, tells you what their job is and then shares about their time riding with those adults.  It's a fun read packed with important messages about safety, getting along and family time together.

In fact all of Paul Jamiol's books are the same, fun to read to, or with a child and they help to instill acceptance of others.

He does that by placing lady riders in non traditional jobs: Howlena has a daughter named Treena who is pretty proud of the fact that her mom is a mechanic who builds custom cars. Treena loves to ride with her mom too.

He also uses a wide variety of careers to show that anyone can love motorcycles.
From artists and wood workers to construction and TV personalities, Paul brings motorcycling and good old family values together in a way that delights kids.

If you find yourself looking for that perfect stocking stuffer for a young one in your life, any one of the 4 "Bikers are Animals" books would be a great choice.

Paul is also the artist responsible for my Beaver Mascots - Road Trip Rita and her soon to be named male companion.

Name our newest Beaver: www.beltdrivebetty.com/community/contests/name-the-beaver

You can help us name our newest beaver by visiting our "Name that Beaver" contest page - you might win the entire set of 4 books and a plaque that Paul is giving away!

Both of our Canadian Beavers will be doing guest appearances in one of Paul's upcoming books in the series "Bikers are Animals".

For more information on Paul Jamiol and his books visit: www.bikersareanimals.com

Have a fabulous day,

Belt Drive Betty,

Editor & Rider

Dreams - Part Three

Over the last couple of days I have shared a few stories about dreams and how they are coming true for people.

Today I want to share another story about a person with a dream, a passion, a fire...Larry P Scerri.

I have known Larry for a good long while now. Way back, before he and I had kind of lost touch with each other, Larry used to send me some of his poetry to share with those who read the Busted Knuckle Chronicles.

Well, life happened, time passed, and one day, out of the blue, Larry was back in my life.
It's funny how bad pennies and friends do that..in and out of your life and you pick up where you left off without missing hardly a beat.

Larry sent me his book "Asphalt Range" to review and one as a gift for our Beat the PMS Blues Online Show 'n' Shine as a prize.

For a long time Larry - the "Ironhorse Writer" dreamt of having a book of his American free verse, rider poetry published.

Well, his dream has come true.

He has this book that is about 170 pages long. It's filled with poetry from as far back as 1998. It's written in chapters and every chapter's name makes you think of the different stages in life, our interests and how they change over time. The one constant through it all, the love of the open road and the wisdom it has to share with each of us.

"With the CD version, (entirely recorded by Larry), once you get through the credits for the publishing house, it was pleasant to listen to as it truly carried the cadence each poem carried"...

To read his poetry on one's own (without benefit of the CD), well that is a whole different experience...his poems hold the rhythm of life, of the road in them and your soul really identifies that.

They are poems filled with tidbits and pearls of wisdom and whimsy.

I found some of his poems profoundly moving.

For me, "Basically Black" was such a poem. It's simple and honest clarity speaks straight to your heart...

Another poem that I found particularly poignant - one that moved me deeply was "Brotherhood"

His depiction of two old soldiers, old road warriors, one dead, the other left behind and a lifetime of memories shared in only a few lines...the ending of that poem had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eyes.

Poem after poem he takes you on a ride - and you know this man has ridden all of his life, has felt, experienced, tasted - become - the rhythm of the road...

The "Asphalt Range" by Laurence P. Scerri, published by Flash Productions, is a book that I think many a ride will appreciate. It's honest...just like the road.

My hats off to you brother of the family Wind...you are living that dream....

If you are interested in ordering the book, click here

To find out more about Laurence P Scerri, click here


The news feeds are full of interesting and strange tales today...

In BC - the coroner has released findings from a crash on the Malahat

In Arizona, riders are tackling the issue of harassment by the police

In Iowa, they are trying to push through a helmet bill aimed at teen riders

In Utah they have dropped the helmet bill

In Sacramento a pick up truck driver was found guilty of using his truck as a weapon against a motorcyclist

In Milwaukee, a police officer is suspended for 30 days after crashing his personal motorcycle into a light pole while drunk

In the EU - new restrictions on motorcycles for youth come into effect

In sports, the Circuit of Americas is launching VIP packages to bring fans of MotoGP closer to the action at the Austin TX event

In MotoGP action, Nickey Hayden is disappointed but Bradley Smith is elated

There are many other items in the feeds that may be of interest to you, check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping You informed!

Our Name the Beaver Mascot contest is going well - have you cast your vote for the best name yet?

Our Online Show n Shine is waiting for your votes for the BEST motorcycles in each class...

Next week we will be launching a story of epic proportions - it's all about our veterans and service dogs - this is something I think many of you will want to be on board for.  Watch for the launch on Tuesday, Feb 12th - Mental Health Day!  I urge you to like the Paws Fur Thought Page on Facebook so that we can keep you in the loop of this innovative approach to mental health!

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via E-mail..laughter - what's life without laughter?

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider

A wonderful contest from a fabulous Biker Author!

I’m thrilled to have you all help me celebrate the release of Iron Horse Rider 3 & also having all three books now in print. This is a dream come true for me. Since the beginning, I’ve made it a priority to change people’s perceptions of bikers. Not all of us are hardened, bad-assed riders who have little respect for ‘citizens/outsiders’ or the law. I want to show the ‘real deal’, no pretences, and no facades. The men and women who raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for charity...who share the common love of being in the wind...the men and women who believe family comes first above all, whether it be by blood or by heart.

~Adelle Laudan

About the Series:
After losing his wife in a terrible motorcycle accident, Shane flees from everything and everyone that reminds him of Kelly. He discovers solace in a summer Micmac camp, and with the aid of Chief Gray Owl and the beautiful Tia, Shane’s heart begins to heal. On his journey he is introduced to a world of fire breathers, belly dancers, crystal balls and ghosts from his past.
A powerful evil presence descends upon the unsuspecting Micmac camp, and Shane joins forces with the spirit world to confront this threat and defend all he has come to know and love. Is Shane strong enough to face such a merciless entity, or is he destined to a life alone, riding in the wind?
About Adelle:
Adelle Laudan lives in Southern Ontario with two of her four children still under wing. Life as a single mom of two teenage daughters is ‘interesting’, to say the least, but a life she wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world. When most little girls dreamed of being a princess in a castle, waiting for their Prince Charming, Adelle dreamed of riding off into the sunset with a leather clad hero on a vintage motorcycle.
There are three things in life Adelle is most passionate about; family, writing, and motorcycles. Come ride the many twists and turns her stories will take you. Be sure to fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be the ride you’ll not soon forget.

My books are also available at wholesale prices to any retailers. I’d love to see my books on the shelves of every leather/accessory shop for miles. LOL Okay maybe I’m exaggerating just a tad, but you get the general idea.

Go here: http://adellelaudan.com for more info and how you can purchase any of my books.
Or, send me an email : adellelaudan @ adellelaudan.com  (fix the spacing around the @ to send an email)

CONTEST:
All you have to do is chime in and say hello, ask a question or leave a comment to be included in the draw. If you’d like an extra entry, shout out about this contest and leave the link in your comment. Good luck to everyone!
1 set of signed/print copies of Iron Horse 1 2 3. I haven’t offered this prize anywhere else on my tour.
I’ll also pick one winner of 1 set of EBook copies of Iron Horse 1 2 3.

The Rider's Phone Book

If you haven't taken Belt Drive Betty's Little Black Book for a test run - you should check it out!
http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/joomla07/index.php?option=com_sobi2&Itemid=182
We now have over 850 businesses which means I am pushing the 25% mark for data entry!
It's coming - BC is almost half finished then I'll start on Atlantic Canada and work my way to the monsters - Quebec & Ontario!

This book is going to be one great tool for we riders!

The other thing that is a wonderful tool - the new calendars!
They are wonderful - it's easy for anyone to add an event be it for a group or a business.
You just click on the plus sign for the date of your event and away you go - the best is that I get notified before it's posted so we can ensure that every bit of information is given to the rider that we can - it also helps out the person who is adding the event because the repeating dates can be a bit confusing to enter.
http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/joomla07/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=208

As you can see, every province has it's own calendar and we have a large number of events transferred from our old calendar system to this new one already!
Check them out and if you don't see your groups meeting and ride/coffee(beer) nights or a local competition event or toy run in the calendar - add it!

Have a great weekend everyone and be safe out there....
BD Betty