How I Ended Up Becoming A Floridian

Thursday night after I received the phone call that told me my gas station that I owned and operated for 24 years burned down it triggered so many thoughts in my mind it took me forever to get to sleep. Then Friday morning when I went by to view what remained of the station it brought back so many memories and I was thinking if it was not for that Shell station I probably would have never moved to Florida.

I will try to explain. In 1969 when I was living in Maryland the Baltimore Colts advanced to Super Bowl three to play the New York Jets in the Super Bowl.

I had never been to Florida before but my wife and I purchased one of those Super Bowl packages. It included 2 tickets to the game, a flight to Miami on a chartered airplane, a rental car waiting when we landed and a beautiful hotel accommodation on Miami Beach. Incidentally that whole package cost less than it now cost just for tickets to the game. LOL

The afternoon we left Baltimore to fly to Miami it was 23 degrees, the wind chill was about zero. We had an ice storm, the tree limbs and the electrical wires were sagging from the weight of the ice. We slipped and slid all the way to the airport on icy roads. We had a direct flight to Miami and in 2 hours we landed
 in Miami. That was back in the days before the planes taxied up to the terminals, you walked down steps from the plane and walked into the terminal. It was 83 degrees and the sun was shining. I remember thinking this must be what it is like to die and go the Heaven,

Although we had this beautiful hotel room Bubba wanted to spend one night with her brother Harry and his wife Maria in Boca Raton. I was awakened on Saturday morning by a familiar noise, I kept saying what is that noise, Bubba said instead if trying to guess what it is get up and look. I pulled the shade back and looked out the window and the guy next door was mowing his grass in January and we had just left an ice storm. At that moment I said to Bubba I am moving to Florida.

After we got home I became obsessed with moving to Florida. I would go to bed thinking about it, I would wake up thinking about it. I had literature from Chamber of Commerce, from different cities, etc. I sold my station in Maryland and started making trips to Florida to try to fine another business. I made several trips with no luck. Nine months went by and still no luck so I told Bubba I am going to make one more trip and if nothing happens I will come back and look for another business in Maryland or look for a job.

Again another trip with no luck. I got home on a Thursday and on Sunday I was reading the business opportunities in the Baltimore Sun and a head line jumped out at me. It said tired of shoveling snow, if so contact Shell Oil Company and it gave a number in Miami. I called the number and talked to a man for a long time, I told him my background in running a gas station and he asked to me come down for an interview. Long story short that's how I became a Shell Dealer in Florida and was able to make the move down. Next month in May it will be 39 years since I moved here.

As with any business we had our share of problems but overall it was a wonderful 24 years. We acquired a second station in 1984 and ran them both until we sold them in 1997. Bubba and I had this dream for years that we wanted to build a log home. Her health problems kept getting worse and I thought if I try to wait to I am 62 or 65 to retire we may never get to build her dream home. Bubba and I semi-retired in 1993 and Martha and Jimmy took over the day to day running of the business, the house was finished in 1994 so she got to live in it for four years and she loved every moment of it. So I have never regretted retiring early as she at least got to live her dream for a few years.

I never liked the idea of having a job where you went to work and did the same old job every day. Never had to worry about that running a service station, every day was different and at times very challenging.

I ran my station in Maryland for 8 years and 24 in Florida. I have told people over the years I could write a book about those experiences and they have asked why don't you. I always tell them other than people that have been in the service station business no one else would ever believe it. LOL









I still have some friends in the business and with all the turmoil of the high gas prices and the dealers getting a lot of the blame for it it is not a fun business any more. After all those years in the business I can tell you it is not the fault of the private service station owners. The higher the prices go in reality they make less money because after people fill their tanks they don't come into the stations for the other purchases which is where they actually make their money. Also because of the fees the station owners have to pay the credit card companies the higher the credit card charge it costs the dealers more money.

The loveliest of memories

The loveliest of memories

Will never fade away,

Though years may come and go

The joy they brought will stay.

Special times once shared

With loved ones long since gone.

We hold them in our heart's,

Their memories living on.

The loveliest of memories

Mean more than words can say

For when we feel downcast

They will chase all cares away.

I have memories from when I was about four years old. I know this is true because we moved when I was four years old and I still have memories from the house I was born in. I remember my first day of school when I was six years old like it was yesterday. Ask me what I did yesterday and I may have to take a minute or two to think about it. They tell me that is not a good sign. LOL

For most of my life I probably dwelled more on the bad memories than I did the good ones. I guess I have always been a slow learner, it took me until I was in my sixties to finally realize that those bad memories are just that. I finally realized that I can't back up and change any of the things that I perceived as bad. I have written about this before but will mention it again in the hope that maybe others will get the same meaning from it as I did.

One morning years ago Joan had one of those calendars on the counter in the kitchen that gave you the quote for the day. One morning I got up early to go make the coffee. When I pulled off the one from the day before the one for the new day said, for every bad thing that happens to us on the average of 18 to 25 good things happen to us, why do we dwell on the one bad thing rather than the good things.

I remember stepping back and saying out loud, Wow that is just what I do. I said things can be going good for me and I will let one bad thing not only ruin my day but maybe ruin a couple of days. If you asked my Dear Joan about that I am sure you would get a big AMEN. LOL

I decided right then to try and reverse that trend. When some thing upsets me I try to drive it out of my mind and for the most part I do that. I am not saying it is easy but you can do it.

Those of you that read my E-Mails and my BLOG I am sure have noticed that I am big on quotes, especially positive ones. My hope is that maybe one of the quotes will affect them just like the one did for me.

Every one I send I think to myself I can't give this advice if I don't follow it myself so it helps to keep me pumped up also.

I have also written about when you are feeling down get out some old pictures of happy and joyful times, it almost always will help you get out of your funk.

Due to circumstances I am estranged from a few people I loved in my life. I have no bad feelings toward them as a matter of fact I use the same philosophy when I think about them, I only remember the fun and good times I had with them for many years. I do not dwell on the reason we became estranged because that also is one of those things that being upset about it is not going to change it.

One regret I do have is that I wish I had adopted this philosophy much earlier in my life, don't waste time dwelling on the past that you cannot change, point your life toward the future, that you can change for the better.

Love And Happy Easter Wishes To You All.

Follow Up To My January BLOG about Aging Gracefully

In January of this year I wrote on my BLOG about how to grow older gracefully. I came across some excerpts from a book entitled ( A Long Bright Future ) written by a lady named Laura Carstensen, a professor of psychology at Stanford University which I found to be very interesting, Thought I would share a few of them with you.

She says happiness is not the domain of the young. In fact quite the contrary. According to research on age and happiness older people tend to be happier than young people.

She writes, with the exception of dementia-related diseases, which by definition have organic roots, mental health generally improves with age. Older people generally focus on the essential, don't sweat the small stuff, and enjoy their freedoms when their children leave the nest. She says the empty nest syndrome is atypical, she says children make parents very happy when they are living somewhere else. LOL

She says ( the paradox of aging ) has to do with our perspectives changing. Simply put the less time we have the more we cherish it. I totally agree with that. Things that used to mean a lot to me no longer do, but the things I really care about I care a lot more about them now. The age group that is the most unhappy, stressed, and prone to depression is the 20 something demographic.

Having a good life is as important as having good genes when it comes to age and wellness. Common sense prevails here, if you smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for decades, you'll pay later, same for drug or alcohol addiction and lack of exercise.

( Aging is inevitable ) how you age is not. We have to learn to deal with aging, death is the only alternative.

Having reached the ripe old age of 71 1/2 I feel I can add a few things to her report. LOL

I believe our back ground and circumstances may have influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become.

All through our lives we make friends, you lose some and some stay on and never leave your side. Old friends are like old wine,they become better with age. So many of my old friends I consider them like siblings.

Every one wants to be happy, no one wants to be in pain but remember you can't have a rainbow with out the rain.

You can not choose the people around you, but you can choose the people you want to be around.

Life is like a flowing river, full of opportunities. It is up to you whether you stand with a bucket or a spoon.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person

Having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

No matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

Everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile..

When your grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED

It's A Great Day To Be Alive

Last week I was thinking about a friend who is going through a lot of health problems. Some of them are very serious problems. He had to take an early retirement and with his problems he doesn't get out much. So I decided I would give him a call. As soon as he answered the phone I could tell he was not having a good day. We talked a little and he said he had to go as he had a doctors appointment, I said that's ok hope you get some good news from the doctor.




The next day he E-Mailed me and said I am sorry I gave you the bums rush yesterday. I told him not to worry about it I understood. He then said some thing that really made me feel sad, he said when I go to bed at night I hope I will not wake up.



After thinking about it for a few days I decided to do some research about people and their reasons on why they are so happy to be alive.



Thanksgiving was just a couple of months ago and I hope you used that day to reflect back on the things you had to be thankful for.



Twice in my life I have gone through depression but with the help of some loving family and some great friends Thank God I was able to work my way out of it. I also made a lot of changes in my life and one of the biggest changes was defining what is important in my life and what is not so important. I discovered that a lot of the things that depressed me really were not that important after all.



I asked myself if I wanted to have a more meaningful life and of course the answer was yes I do. I found the best thing for me was to start dwelling on the good things in my life and stop dwelling on the bad things. It is a big challenge when every day we have to deal with all the problems and burdens that come our way, annoying and cruel people, illness, death, and so on. And yet when we begin to be grateful for what we have and stop complaining on what we don't have, it can change your life dramatically, if you don't believe me, try it you will be surprised how much it can change your life.



I think I pretty much know the reasons to be happy but when I started my research I discovered a lot of things that I should be grateful for that I have more or less just taken them for granted. I came up with so many reasons I will not attempt to list them all but will list some that just jumped out at me.



1. You are alive. Mornings are a gift, every morning when you wake up say Thank you God for the gift of a brand new day.



2. You can see. The gift of sight, what a blessing, you are able to see the beauty all around you, your family, your grand children, just so many reasons we are so lucky to have the gift of sight.



3. You can hear. You can hear the waves of the ocean, raindrops falling on the roof, the laughter of children, and you can hear the words when someone tells you they love you.



4. You can speak. You can say words like Thank You, I am here for you, and very important you can tell the people you care about, I Love You.



5. You can touch. Your hands can caress and soothe a loved one. With touch you can express your love without words.



6.You can read. Reading can open up so many doors for you.



7. You can write. You can write and share your experiences, you can write love letters, thank you notes, etc.



8.You can sleep. You can rest when you are tired and exhausted, so you can recuperate and re-energize yourself.



So many other things we can do that we mostly take for granted. You can sing, you can think, you can feel, and the list just goes on and on.



Relationships are Blessings:



When you begin to see that each person is brought into you life for a purpose and reason you begin to appreciate them and view them in an entirely different way.



Family:



Be grateful for your family. Isn't it great to have a family. Imperfect they may be but here we find the opportunity to grow, share, give and receive love.



Friends:



Be grateful for your friends. True friends stand by you, they know your quirks and weird ways, but love you any way. LOL



Teachers:



I had some great teachers, Thank God they had a lot of patience, I wasn't always the best student. LOL



Coaches:



They taught me teamwork, how to work with and get along with others and most important discipline.



Listeners:



They can listen to you when you pour out your heart as you pour out your burdens.



Joy Givers:



They radiate sunshine and warmth. When you feel down, a dose of their joy lifts you up.



Huggers:



They engulf you in a big hug that makes you feel safe and secure. Their hugs let you know you are not alone.



Lovers:



Be grateful for lovers, the words that come out of their mouth are the words that start with love. Lovers of life, lovers of goodness, lovers of sports, lovers of helping people se the beauty in themselves. Be grateful for people who will lead you gently back to yourself.



Things we can enjoy:



Pets:



Finding joy and love in taking care of and nurturing animals. My life has been touched by amazing animals.



Other things we can enjoy, food, be grateful if you are not hungry, having a roof over our heads, water to drink, books, where you can gain knowledge and wisdom, Google, I have learned more since I discovered Google than I learned in 12 years of school. LOL



Great memories:



Fun things from when you were a child.

Your first bike.

Falling in love.

Getting married.

Birth of your first child.

High school reunions



In wrapping this up think about these things,

If you have someone to love, some thing to do, something to hope for, every day can be a celebration.



A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson,

When I open my eyes in the morning and look

out at the beautiful world I Thank God I Am Alive.



INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WHAT YOUR LIFE IS MISSING, BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU DO HAVE.



LAUGH AS MUCH AS YOU BREATH AND LOVE AS LONG AS YOU LIVE.



RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY, WHETHER WE REALIZE IT OR NOT.



Go to Google and type in video of It's a great day to be alive, that video will help pick you up.



Love And Best Wishes To You And Yours. Joe

My First BLOG for 2012, How To Grow Old Gracefully

For some one that turned seventy one back in September 2011 I tell my self I don't feel like a seventy one year old. That's my mind telling me that, my body is trying to tell me some thing different. LOL As most of you know I had major back surgery last year. The back surgery was a success but since the surgery I have had trouble with weak legs from the knees down. The Doctors have told me it may take up to a year for that to go away. It doesn't cause me to not to able to do most every thing I did before it just means I have to do it slower. LOL The pain I was having before the surgery was excruciating, I am so thankful to be free of that pain that I try not to complain about my legs. When I went for my first consultation with the surgeon he asked me a lot of questions about my past as far as why I thought I had the back problems. I said well I played all the sports and played hard at them. I have rode ATV's, wave runners, horses, probably lifted things the wrong way, etc. He asked me if I wish I had avoided doing some of those things and I said Hell no I had to much fun to look back and complain about it now. As I am getting older I've become more kind to myself and less critical of myself, I figure why dwell on it as there is nothing I can do about it now.

I have seen too many family members and dear friends leave this world too soon before they understood the great freedom from aging.

My motto is I can't stop from growing old but I can stop from growing up and that is what I try to do. That's one of the reasons I try to spend so much time with Carter & Griffin, they help keep me young. I try to avoid negative people as much as I can because they will drag you down. I like to hang out with crazy people which for me is easy because almost all of my family and friends are crazy. LOL A big plus for me is that both of wives have been crazy also, Bubba was crazy and so is Joan which means life almost is never boring.

I am some times very forgetful but there is things in my past I want to forget any way. Actually I tell myself I just drove those bad things out of my mind so I can concentrate on remembering the good things.. LOL

Has my heart been broken? Yes many, many, times. How can your heart not be broken when you have lost as many family and wonderful friends as I have. How could I not be heart broken when my Daughter had a major stroke at the age of 45. Her quality of life is not great but she has a Husband, A Daughter, and a wonderful Mother-in-Law who love her and take care of her. How could I not be heart broken when my beautiful step daughter Janet was taken from us on Christmas Eve 2002, as the result of a tragic car accident.
My Father passed away when I was 12 years old. Those are just a few of the times my heart has been broken but you know what as I look back over my life I realize that the ups in my life have far, far, out numbered the downs and for that I am grateful. Dear family and friends the advice I would like to give you and I only wish I had started doing it a lot sooner in my life is to dwell on all the good things you have experienced and less on the bad things.

If you have family and friends that love you, if you have reasononly good health yet, if you laughed a lot more in your life than you have cried than count your blessings.

So what if I don't have any hair, so many of my family and friends didn't live long enough to lose their hair. As I grow older I actually find it is easier to be positive, you get to a point where you don't care what other people think about you, I don't berate my self nearly as much as I used to, I think I have earned the right to be wrong. LOL

I actually like the person I have become. I am not going to be here forever but I have adopted the

philosophy my late Dear Brother-in-Law Frank Strawderman had, he said he was going to live until he died and that's just what he did, and that's what I hope to do, I want to live until I die.I for sure will try not to worry myself about could have been because with the great life I have had I figure I really didn't miss out on too much.

 

Always remember to forget

The things that made you sad

But never forget the things

That made you glad

Always remember to forget the

Family and Friends that proved untrue

But never forget the ones

 That stuck by you

Always remember to forget the troubles

That passed away, but never forget

To remember the blessings that come each day

If you get a second chance, grab it

With both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy

They just promised it would be worth it.

May you always have a smile on you face

And laughter in your heart

Forever and ever!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

People are funny creatures. We can be greedy and impatient one day and kind and considerate the next. And always we are unendingly complicated.


Take being thankful for example. We have Thanksgiving, a day set aside to show our gratitude and we also have New Years Eve to show our thanks for the past year.



That's good that we have those special times to express our thanks, but what about tomorrow or the next day or even the next few minutes are we thankful then too?



Let me share a few ways I'm thankful and I hope you are thankful for some of the same reasons.



I'm for sure not a preacher but I like to think I am a Christian, all be it one with a lot of warts. And I have not always been a true believer. I was one that was always questing God and asking him WHY certain things happen. But after Bubba passed away and we lost Janet in that terrible automobile accident I realized I was never going to find out the WHY's, at least in this life. I finally realized that I had to believe the fact that there is a better place that the people we love and care so much for go to after they leave this earth. It was not an easy thing for me to do but since I have come to believe that I am much more at peace with myself. After coming to that conclusion I have been able to move on a lot better with my life.



Like every one else I have hard times and good times and great times and horrible times. But the last few years as I look back at my life I realize just how much the good times have far, far, out numbered the bad times. When I lost Bubba and was floundering around I was led to Joan, one Angel had been replaced by another Angel. After Martha had her terrible stroke and it is hard for us to communicate at times first Carter and now Griffin entered my life and those two little guys have been more of a blessing than I could ever imagine. So I realize that every prayer I say is not answered but I have had so many great things happen that I didn't pray for it is my saving grace.



If you are having trouble finding your blessings ask your self a few of these questions.

Do you have people that love you?

Are you part of a family?

Do you as I do have beautiful grand children that adore you, make you feel younger, keep you laughing and just make your day when they say I Love You Papa?

Are you part of a family that loves you?

Do you have friends that you can be with, tell the same old stories from the past and laugh at them as if you have heard them for the first time?



If you can answer yes to a few of these questions I hope they will make you realize that you are blessed. If we hang on to the tragedies of the past or fret too much about things that may or not happen in the future then you will forget the joys of today.



One regret I do have is that it took me so long to realize how many blessings I have had. I did hold on to things from the past too long, and until I learned the Serenity Prayer I for sure worried about too many things I cannot change.



I am also thankful for all of you that are reading this BLOG. If you are reading this it means you are a family member, a friend, an E-Mail friend, people that I love and enjoy so much.



Joan and I want to wish each and every one of you a:



Very Happy And Healthy 2012.



Will close this out with this poem I came across and thought it was very good.



Remember the laughter,

the joy,

the hard work,

and the tears.



And as you reflect on the past year,

also think of the new one to come.



Because most importantly,

this is a time of new beginnings

and the celebration of life."



We will open the book.

Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called Opportunity

and

its first chapter is New Year's Day.





Fill your life with Happiness & Bright Cheer,

Bring to you Joy and Prosperity for the whole Year,

And it's my New Year wish for you..

Wishing you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.





2012 is at the door

Remember

Life is short, break the rules,

Forgive quickly,

love truly,

laugh uncontrollably,

and

never regret anything that made you smile.





Like birds, let us,

leave behind what we don'tneed to carry,

GRUDGES SADNESS PAIN FEAR and REGRETS.

Life is beautiful, Enjoy it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012





Before the sun sets in this year,

before the memories fade,

before the net works get jammed

Wish you and your family Happy Sparkling New Year 2012





My wishes for you in year 2012

Great start for Jan,

Love for Feb,

Peace for march,

No worries for April

Fun for May,

Joy for June to Nov,

Happiness for Dec,

Have a lucky and wonderful 2012.





God bless you and keep you safe not only today but throughout life that is coming in your way. May year to follow be among the best you have ever spent.

New Years Wishes From Joan and Joe

Beautiful memories from Christmas's past

One time many years ago after Joan and I had been together awhile she said to me one day, Joe I have noticed that you live a lot in the past. My reply was that I didn't think I live in the past but yes I do a lot of reminiscing.




And you know what I still do. When you make it to the ripe old age of seventy one you sure have a lot of memories. Like every one else my life has had a lot of ups and downs, but lucky for me when I look back the ups have far out numbered the downs. So when I look back when I start thinking of some of the downs I have trained my mind to immediately to switch to the good times and the good things in my past.



I reminisce all year round but come November and December, Thanksgiving and Christmas I really do think back about the good things.



As a kid growing up in West Virginia we didn't have a lot of fancy things. We didn't own our first car until I was six or seven years old. I never felt like we were poor because when I think of people that are poor I think of those that don't have enough to eat, can't pay there bills, etc. That was not the case with me. My Uncle had an orchard, always had a garden, raised hogs and chickens and my Aunt was always canning foods. Lucky for us they shared a lot with us.



My Dad always said there was nothing wrong with wearing patches on my pants as long as they were clean. When I buy a pair of sneakers now days and see how much they cost I think about how I had three pairs of shoes, regular shoes, a pair of dress shoes, and a pair of sneakers, and the only time I got new ones was when I out grew the old ones.



I would get about three things for Christmas as far as fun things go and to this day I can remember my first train set, my first bicycle. By not getting overwhelmed with gifts you could remember what you did get. To this day I still believe the more things children get the less they appreciate them.



So yes, I do think back about the first Christmas in the first home I bought, the first Christmas after Martha was born and then later on as she got older seeing her come down the stairs all excited when she seen the nice things waiting for her.



Thanksgiving and Christmas was also the time to spend it with Family and Friends. Just so many wonderful memories. One year Bubba and I flew up to Maryland on Christmas Day unannounced, I still remember the fun we had when we knocked on the doors of family and friends and the look on their faces, again great memories.



I am one of the luckiest guys ever in the fact that I had an Angel for my first wife my dearly departed Bubba, and after she passed away being lucky enough to have another one, my wife Joan, another Angel.



Bubba then and Joan now both love this special time of the year and go all out to make sure our family and friends know it , the extra special effort they put into it to makes every thing so nice.



Last year Joan spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in the hospital. She did not let it keep her from enjoying the special time of year. She said how can I feel sorry for myself when Christmas Eve 2002 my beautiful daughter Janet was killed in that tragic automobile accident. Janet loved Christmas so much also. Joan always seems to be able to put life in it's proper prospective.



So I will keep on reminiscing and hope I am around a lot longer so I can have many more special moments to reminisce about.



Actually a few years ago I had gotten a little cynical about Christmas, I would see children that didn't need any thing get every thing, and children that needed just about every thing get nothing and it would bother me. But since Carter came along and now Griffin I see the world through the eyes of two innocent little guys that don't know about all the problems around us and only see the fun and excitement of it all.



It also helps me when I stop and think about the REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON. Dear Family and Friends have a Wonderful Christmas and lets all pray that 2012 will be a happy and healthy year for us all.



The pictures are from one of the Christmas's at my log home and the years spent there are also happy memories for me. The last two pictures are from the family room upstairs and the rest from the great room down stairs.

Different views of The Log Home decorated for Christmas

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. Great reason to look back ot the things to be thankful for. Here are some of my favorite reasons.

1. Family:




Where or who would we be without them? They are our foundations, our roots. They love us at our best and even more important at our worst. Family is the crutch of humanity.



My daughter Martha, her Husband Jimmy, her Daughter Jessica, and her Mother-in-Law Anita. May of this year was seven years since Martha had her stroke. She copes with her situation daily and I know she gets very frustrated at times, especially not being able to talk. I think about it all the time and can't even imagine what it must be like to have all the things you want to say to people and not be able to. One thing she can say clearly is I Love You and she always lets her old Dad hear those words all the time.



Jimmy, Jessica, and Anita are always there for her. Most of the time she is happy and smiling but when she is not happy they are the ones because they love her so much are patient with her and take great care of her. She does truly love them all and when she gets mad at them it doesn't last long.



My Wife Joan. November 10 TH we celebrated being married ten years. Martha's stroke and Janet's tragic death on Christmas Eve, 2002 have been huge obstacles to over come and I am so thankful to God that we had each other to help each other through those trying times. Of course there has been some other bumps in the road as there is in every ones lives. But over all it has been an incredible 10 years. I was going to do my BLOG about our ten years together but soon realized if I tried to do that it would be the longest BLOG ever. LOL I am going to do a booklet of our time together for her Grandsons to read later on down the road. I have only put together my notes for the first 4 years so far and am having such fun doing it. I want to cover the first ten years of our marriage and I hope to add a lot more years to it later.



Barb and Brett, Christopher, Carter, & Griffin, so many great times and memories I am going to write about also.



Friends:



Friends are the family we get to choose for ourselves. Just like our families they love us even with our imperfections. They see the best in us when we don't. They show up when we need them even though they don't have to. They celebrate our accomplishments with us. They make us laugh when we are sad. They some times even make us cry, but most of the time they are tears of joy. They're just there, and most of the time, that's all we need them to do.



I tell people all the time although I am an only child I have more brothers and sisters than any one I know. Thank God for all of them.



Children:



I can't imagine a world with out Grand Children. They are a constant reminder of what is most beautiful about the world. There have been times when I was having a bad day, but a smile, a laugh, a hug, or I love you Papa, makes me forget what ever may have been bothering me. Grandchildren see the world without distorted lenses, they are so innocent. We should always make time to spend with children. I have found that I need them as much or more than they need me.



Kindness:



One of my favorite quotes is " No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted ". Being kind is one of the purest donations a person can make. You never know when an act of kindness can make such a difference in a persons life.



Mistakes:



Now before you say how can mistakes be some thing to be thankful for, consider this, they are necessary to bring us to a point in life where we want to be. There are not many ways in life that have the ability to change us the way a mistake does. If you learn from your mistakes it can be a positive thing.



Health:



Good health is one of those things we take for granted until we don't have it any more. If you have the ability to walk, talk, sing, and laugh, just remember the people who want to but can't.



Today:



Today is never guaranteed to us, so if we get it we should be happy about it. Think of all the people young and old that you have loved that didn't make it until to day. Those of us that did make it to today should think how lucky we are and treat it as such.



As I have reached the age of 71 and have been doing a review of my life I realize just how lucky I have been. Of course there were many times when I didn't think that way, but this is where hindsight is a good thing. I just keep thinking of reasons I should be thankful but I will end this with this thought.



Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the special and wonderful people who have entered our lives and make each day more beautiful and meaningful. I hope you have many reasons to be thankful not just on Thanksgiving but every day.



My Thanksgiving prayer for you " The God of love and peace be with you " 2 Corinthians 13:11. God Bless you on Thanksgiving and always.

If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away

Those of you that read my BLOG know I get a lot of ideas for my BLOG from songs. For many years I was a die hard Country Music lover. Then it started taking a trend that I really don't like as well so I started either listening to my old country CD's or even other styles of music. We have a pretty new radio station locally that plays a lot of easy listening music and I guess as I am mellowing out at my ripe old age I find myself listening to it most of the time.




Now when I do listen to country radio I find I don't even recognize the names of the new country singers. But the other day I heard a singer named Justin Moore sing a song called " If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away " and I really liked it and it got my mind going. LOL



What he says is that If Heaven Wasn't So Far away he would like to pack up and go there for a day.



I know we all want to go to Heaven but we just don't want to go yet. LOL But to go for a day or two wouldn't that be nice?



I would tell my Dad that I thought he was hard on me when I was a kid but the only job he ever had before he became disabled was the military. He was tough on me but I would tell him Thank You Dad because in hind sight he planted an ethic in me that has served me well.



He passed away when I was 12 years old so I would tell my Mom I could never thank you enough for all your help you gave me, how hard you had to struggle to raise me until I got through High School and was able to go out on my own.



I would thank Bubba for being such a great Wife, great Mother, the absolute best Daughter-in Law ever as when my Mom developed Alziemer's she was the one that took such great care of her even when she wasn't in the best of health herself. I would tell how much she is still loved by every one that knew her and how much she is missed. I would thank her that when she was looking down and seeing I was not doing well she talked to God and told him he needed to do some thing for me he led me to Joan.



I would try to get around and give big hugs to all the family and friends there. People I think of all the time, my beautiful step daughter Janet. Frank Strawderman, we became brother-in-laws because we married sisters, we became life long friends because we loved each other and had so much fun over the years, same with Jimmy Sherman, my beloved sister-in-law Barbara Creamer, her beautiful daughter Nancy who left us much to soon. I wish I could list them all but as an only child I had and still have so many brothers and sisters, it is remarkable when I think about it.



As Justin sings about in the song I would sit on a cloud and visit for awhile, It would do me good just to see them smile and to hear them laugh again. Tell them I hope to come back to see them some time and tell them that losing them wouldn't be so hard to take If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away, so far away, so far away.



The good thing about country music be it the old or the new most of the time it is songs about life.



Then I would say to them I love you and I miss you and hold a spot for me there just not right now, LOL

My Story About My Grand Dog Spunky.

Two or three weeks ago I sent all of you an E-Mail about a beautiful story that appeared in our local paper The Palm Beach Post on August 19.


It was written by Scott Eyman about his beloved German Shepard, Cooper. Scott is an author and he also writes for the Post.

Cooper was more than just a dog to Scott, he was also like his best friend. He told lots of stories about the thirteen years he had with Cooper. The relationship between Scott and Cooper made for a beautiful story.

I hope most of you got the chance to read it. He told how after thirteen years Cooper's health started to deteriorate. Scott mentioned it to a friend of his and said he didn't know what to do about it. His friend told him Cooper will tell you when it is time. Shortly after that sure enough Copper did let him know in his own way it was time. He wrote it was the hardest thing he ever had to do when it came time to put him down.

A week later on August 26 he wrote a follow up story and included lots and lots of letters he had received from people with similar stories. They were all very touching and heart warming stories and were a big help to Scott to help him with his grief.

I was going to do a BLOG about a similar love affair I had with a Dog named Spunky. Then Irene came along and most of my family and friends from the north east had a lot going for them with all the ramifications from Irene and I figured I would hold off as a lot of them were without electricity, cleaning up from flooding, downed trees, etc.

Hopefully most of my family and friends are starting to get back to some sort of normalcy so I am going to try to put my story in writing.

All most all my life I have had dogs in my life. Actually when I was born my Mom and Dad already had a dog named Pat. When I moved from Maryland to Florida in 1973 I brought two dogs down with me. They both had to eventually be put down and I decided maybe I didn't want to go through that again so I didn't get another dog.

After Martha and Jimmy had been married awhile and had no children they got a Cocker Spaniel, a beautiful black and white one and named her Spunky.

Every one who has children, grand children, or dogs think their's are the smartest, cutest, ones ever. Well in Spunky's case she was. LOL She became Bubba's and mines Grand Dog. She would come to work with Martha every day and hang out in our office or show room at our Shell Station.

Later on we got a office and ware house separate from the station and she would come there every day.

I would take her on my errands every day, at the drive in window at the bank they would give the dogs treats. When I would say I was going to the bank she would wake up from a sound sleep and be waiting at the door ready to go. One day they were out of treats and she mopped all the way back to the office. We would keep treats in our glove departments for her in case that ever happened again. LOL Any time I was going to the bank and right back I would take her, if I was not going to come right back I would spell out, I am going to the BANK. I swear she eventually figured that out also so when I couldn't take her I would sneak out the back door. LOL

Martha had a friend that had two dogs, Troubles and another one whose name I can't remember. At her house if Martha said Troubles and what's her name is coming she would go around pick up her toys and drop them behind the couch. She didn't want them to play with them.

Just like Joan and I do now with Carter & Griffin Bubba and I used to watch Spunky a lot. She would snuggle up right by your neck and sleep there like a child.

Bubba used to say Spunky went to the groomer's more than she went to the hair dresser's and she went to the hair dresser's a lot. LOL

At Christmas she would always know which presents under the tree were her's, she would not bother any of the other ones.

Wow, I could go on and on but this BLOG is getting long. LOL Just like Scott's, Cooper, Spunky's health started to go down hill also, actually just like Cooper it started at the age of thirteen. Also just like Cooper she let us know when she was ready. We were not ready but we knew she was.

When we took her to the Vet's to have her put down, Bubba, Martha, and Jimmy, said they were not going to go in to watch. I said no way is she going to go through this alone so I said I am going in, then Martha said she was going in also. It was so sad, but it was also very peaceful. Martha and I both hugged her as she slipped away.

While Jimmy and Martha prepared her grave I held her box in my lap, I wanted to hold on to her as long as I could. That was many years ago but I still remember it like it was yesterday.

When Martha and Jimmy sold the house the hardest part for Martha was leaving Spunky behind.

I have always said that people could actually learn a lot from animals.

She was part of our business, either at the station or the office.

                                           
                                           This couch was in front of my desk, she would entertain you even when asleep.

We used to joke she thought she was a cat, on the back of the couch or the arm.

                                                    She knew which wrapped gifts were hers.

                                          Martha and Spunky entertaining the customers for Christmas at the station.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas