Q and A

Click HERE for Mindy's version. :-)

A Thanksgiving Story - Tommy Turkey

I happened across these gummy lumps today and thought I'd share. These are by my daughter, Alissa. I'm not sure the picture and story were done at the same time, but probably so. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!



One cool, foggy, breezy morning just as the sun was coming up Tommy arose in a cheerful mood. Tommy stood sleepily and opened his eyes. He saw all of the Thanksgiving decorations. Then he started to shout, "It's here! It's here! Thanksgiving is here! Oh my gosh what am I going to wear? Maybe I'll finally meet Uncle Herman. I'm forgetting the best part, the food. This year I'll have mashed potatoes and corn and..."

Josh the lamb interrupted, "You're not going to eat the food, you're going to be too busy being the food." Tommy had such a thundershock all of his feathers fell off right as he said that. At first he didn't believe him but when he looked through the window and saw where each food as going to go mashed potatoes, corn and turkey, Tommy knew it was true. Josh was right. He was going to have to get a plan and get out of there ASAP.

He knew he wouldn't escape with all of the watch dogs guarding the fence. Tommy decided he should use a disguise.

He took his blanket and thought what could he shape out of this. Tommy could be the Whites' daughter! Tommy knew they couldn't consume their own daughter. He pressed the buttons on the sewing machine and it started to make it CH-CH-CH! When it was done he put it on. First he slipped on the blue dress with white lace. Then he put on a blond haired wig with two blue ribbons. After that he struggled on his black shoes. They were so tight it felt like a crab pinching his feet! "If I must," he thought. He just hoped it worked.

First he was scheming in the mirror to make sure the Whites would really believe that he was their daughter. Tommy decided he better drill on what he was going to say to the Whites. Wait a minute! He didn't know what to say! He started scampering around and around until he felt something on his foot. It was the piece of paper that he had wrote of what he was going to say. He walked up to the door. Tommy was so nervous. He barged right in the house just like it was his. He could hear Mr. White's grouchy voice from the kitchen. Tommy told Mr. White that Jan her friend had invited her over and said she would like to attend. Mr. White said she didn't look so good but he finally said it was okay. "How long are you going to be gone?" "Till six," Tommy replied. But he knew he wasn't going to come back ever.

Tommy was so happy. He started to march proudly toward the forest to seek his turkey family. He decided to be wild and free just like his pa. As he was taking his journey he thought he should be more careful of who he trusted and didn't trust. On most of the trip he was daydreaming about how wonderful it was going to be spending time with his family again. Once he got there he could hear Mr. White yelling and screaming miles away. Tommy started to run around rejoicing that he wasn't going to be eaten! The other turkeys heard him and started to hide.

Alissa Harkins, 11-12-02 (Age 9)

Taking That First Step

It's hard to get started back blogging after letting it go for so long. It's very much like trying to get started back on an exercise routine after you've let yourself get all flabby and out of shape. When that happens, the best you can do is just make yourself take that first step. May, June and July went by without a blog post and I'm determined to not let August get by me as well. So here goes nothing!

I'm very sorry you haven't heard from me, but life has overwhelmed me lately. I wish I could say it's slowed down but... not so much. It continues at break neck speed.

One of the problems is figuring out where to start. So much has happened that I couldn't possibly do it justice. By the time I could find the time to tell you about all that, more stuff will have happened. So here's the abreviated synopsis. Maybe I'll find time to come back and fill in the details. But, if I don't, at least you'll get the overview. In no particular order.



Our Turn

I purchased a ten acre property in Poetry, Texas. This is the place where Mindy and I are building our future together. For now, we call it "Our Turn." Someday, we'll just call it "home." It's kept us very busy. It had a three-piece manufactured home on it that had to be moved. Then there was tree clearing, digging a pond, leveling a pad site for our future home and building a fence and a pier. And more tree clearing. And more cleaning. And... you get the idea. This place will keep us busy for years!

Up In Smoke

You may know there were a lot of wild fires in Texas earlier in the year. Well, my deer lease was among the casualties. It is located just south of Possum Kingdom Lake, an area that was hit very hard by the fires. My travel trailer and all the contents were completely burned up. Also, one of my blinds, a trail camera and some other items. My travel trailer wasn't covered by insurance, but the contents were. (Although only after a large deductible.) Recovery took quite a lot of my time. First I shopped for a new travel trailer. When I found one, it needed quite a bit of work. And, of course, there was shopping for contents and dealing with the insurance adjuster. Then taking the trailer to the lease, setting it up, etc. All this was very, very time consuming, but I'm almost back to square one with the exception of one blind.

Punta Cana

Mindy and I took a vacation to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with my mom and my daughter. We stayed at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro resort. It was fabulous! The food was wonderful, the people were friendly and the service was fantastic! I highly recommend it!

Roadkill Chili Cookoff

Mindy hosted the 6th Annual Roadkill Chili cookoff. I won second place (behind Mindy's mom, Phyllis) with my wild hog chili recipe. A good time was had by all!

Grandma

I lost my 89 year old grandma last week. The funeral was yesterday. I feel kind of bad "glossing this over" because she was a wonderful, sweet lady and deserves all the honor I can bestow upon her. She had been in a nursing home and was suffering from dementia brought on simply by old age. Bless her heart, she just wore out.

I guess I'll share just this one thing... One of the things I remember about grandma from my childhood is long goodbyes. We would go to her house and, when it was time to go, she just wouldn't let us! To tell you the truth, it was a little annoying at the time, but we all knew it was because she loved us. It was during those long goodbyes that she would tell me, "David, I pray for you every day, every day, every day!" I later learned that when something is repeated in scripture, it's to add emphasis. I don't know if that's where grandma got the "every day, every day, every day" thing, but I do know she read her bible a lot, so it's a good theory.

Anyway, the point is, she really meant that she prayed for me every single day. And I have no doubt that she did. I really don't have any way of knowing what my life would have been like without all of grandma's prayers, but I'm grateful. Years later as an adult, I heard the song "Somebody's Prayin'" by Ricky Skaggs. I couldn't help but think Ricky was singin' about my grandma. And I still think of her everytime I hear that song. When he sings the part, "Lord, I thank you for those people prayin' all this time for me," well... I do feel a little emotional. Thanks, Grandma!

Everything Else

The above is just a part of everything that's happened over the last few months. I turned 50 years old. We lost a very special chicken. My mom broke her leg. And more. So much has happened! But I'll stop there. Remember, I was going to be brief!

Wild West

Stephens County, Texas

The Bridge

Love Gifts

First of all, I'm not done boring you with the snake pictures! I have at least one more, OK maybe two, that I'd like to share. But you deserve a break, so let's talk about something else today.

The photo. Pretty cool, huh? That's a heart made out of driftwood. It may be hard to tell the size from the picture, but it's over a foot. It was a "just because" gift from my sweetheart, Mindy. So sweet! It goes great in my house and I do think it's beautiful. But I love it mostly because everytime I look at it, it is a happy reminder of how much she loves me!

I got another love reminder today. She is planning a birthday weekend trip for us. It was a surprise, but logisitically speaking, she had to let me in on it now. She did say "Surprise!" I love this woman!

Speaking of love gifts, you can help me extend one to my daughter, Alissa. She just started blogging and could use some encouragement. You see, her blog is about weight loss, dieting and exercise. She's gone so far as to post her weight, BMI and percentage body fat on her blog. Yes, she's very courageous to put this out there! It gives her accountability.

If you could drop by her blog and give her an encouraging word, I would appreciate it. I know it would mean a lot to her to know that she's not alone and that your kind words of encouragement and support would really help her. Especially if you've ever struggled with weight, yourself. And if you'd like to be her follower, so much the better. I'm so very proud of her for doing this! A lot of people desire to make positive changes in their lives, but she's doing something about it! She rocks! Here's her blog link.

THANK YOU!

Discovering Beauty

Don't you love discovering beauty? I do too! And the best kind is the God-given beauty that resides in the hearts of those we love. I made such a discovery this weekend.




I knew that Mindy had once been a music therapist and that she had worked with special needs children. But I don't think I fully got my heart around it until I saw this.



Sebastian has Down Syndrome and requires more attention than most babies. Among other things, he has to be fed every 1 1/2 to 2 hours, even through the night. Mindy knew his parents could use a break. So she volunteered to hold him for a while. She sang him to sleep. Mindy would be the first to tell you it's a God thing. Yep! I think it's just beautiful! And so does little Sebastian!




Is it any wonder I love this woman? She's so beautiful to me... inside and out! I'm so proud and I just had to brag on her! Have you discovered beauty in someone you love lately? If so, I'd love to hear about it!

It's About Love

It's about family.



It's about Jesus.

Saying Goodbye to Jazz

On Monday night, I had to have Jazz put to sleep. As I prepared to take him to the emergency pet hospital, I was pretty sure he wouldn't be coming back home. I laid him on my bed while I got dressed and he fell asleep. I decided to take this one last picture of him. Mostly because my daughter, Alissa, couldn't be there. I wanted her to have something to mark his passing. She was the one who wanted a kitty all those years ago and the reason that Jazz came into our lives.

At the hospital, the x-rays confirmed what we suspected, congestive heart failure. The prognosis was grim and I made the decision not to let him suffer. He passed away quietly and peacefully as I rubbed his face and chin. He always liked that.

He was a great cat. He'll be greatly missed.

Other posts starring Jazz:
How to Give a Cat a Haircut
How to Give a Cat a Haircut - The Sequel

I also want to share with you a sweet card that Mindy's mom made for me. I don't know whether she wrote the poem herself or found it somewhere, but it was...
PUR-fect!

He will not go quietly,
the cat who shared your life.
In subtle ways he lets you know
his spirit still survives.
Your feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And sometimes coming home at night,
you miss him terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in your heart
belongs to him...
and always will.

Boo!

Photo by Donna Harkins (mom).

No, I wasn't scared either. Have a great weekend!

Bittersweet Daddy Moments

Mindy and I attended a wedding on Saturday. Here is a picture of the beautiful bride dancing with her daddy...



They played "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. As a dad, this kind of hits me on a visceral level. I don't know that there is any way to fully prepare your heart for the rollercoaster of emotions that must come on a day like this.

Watching his little girl ride away with the man of her dreams...



I guess it's kind of unusual that I didn't include a picture of the groom. They do look so happy together! It was an absolutely beautiful, joyous and wonderful wedding and reception! For more pictures, go HERE.

But this post is for the member of the wedding party that I identify most with...

the daddy.

Here's to you, Tim. Well done, my friend!

Ahoy Mate!

Ahoy Mate!, originally uploaded by Snakelover61.

FYI, no photography is allowed in the naval museum in Boston. Sure... I know that NOW! But I took this picture of my lovely mate before I saw the sign. Honest. Ooops! Pixel pirates we are! Arrrrr!

In spite of the illegal nature of this photo, I just thought it was too cute not to share! So I smuggled it back to Texas for your enjoyment. And now you've seen it. Which makes you an accomplice after-the-fact! Harboring dangerous fugitives from justice!

OK, that's just silly!

Remembering Dad

The words below the picture are from the last Father's Day card I ever gave my dad. He passed away less than a month later. This is my fifth Father's Day without him. Yet he is always with me. Because these words describe not only his character, but the man I strive to be. I am blessed by his example. Thanks, Dad.



I WANT TO FOLLOW
IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF MY DAD

I want to treat people
with kindness, to be giving
and to put others first...

I want to be strong in the face
of difficult circumstances,
to allow my trust in God to
keep my heart at peace...

I want to be loving and gentle,
to make the world a better place
by letting Jesus shine through
the things I do.

Thank you, Dad,
for showing me how to live
out my faith day to day,
and for giving me a
wonderful path to follow -
it's a gift I'll appreciate
all of my life.

With Love
On Father's Day

You're a wonderful dad.
I love you.
David

Romance in the Old West

"Howdy there, pretty lady!"



Mindy and I had our pictures taken in western attire at Judge Roy Bean's Old Time Photos in Eureka Springs. But they wouldn't let us take the outfits back to the cabin.

Leola's - A Target-Rich Environment

Ohhhhh! I'm in BIG trouble now! You see, Mindy and I went to Eureka Springs for my birthday weekend. No, that's not why I'm in trouble. We had a wonderful time!

On Sunday, we went to Ozark, Missouri to visit Leola's. And I took a bunch of pictures inside the store. No, that's not why I'm in trouble either! Jan of Summer Sundays said I was welcome to take pictures.

No, you see the reason I'm in big trouble is because I am blogging the photos before Mindy has a chance to steal them from my Flickr and blog them herself! Ohhhhh, NOW you understand!



I shot the following at three different aperture settings. This one gave me the amount of DOF I was looking for...



Leola's is a photographer's dream! Some of the most beautifully arranged sets I've seen. Except for the first photo of Jan and Mindy, I shot all of these with my 50mm lens and without flash. What fun! I'm sorry, Mindy, but I just couldn't resist showing these off! Can you forgive me? Did I mention that I LOVE you?!

Isn't this one warm and "welcoming?"



I love this porch-like display...



These flowers are for my sweetheart! My darling! The love of my life!



It looks like Mindy is saying, "Oh, you're in big trouble, mister!" Please put in a good word for me if you talk to her! Sweetheart, I love you! I really do!





I really like the colors and textures here...





Mindy asked me to shoot these mirrors and brushes. I'm glad she did!





The roller skates bring back memories!



These flowers are for you too, baby! I love you so much!



Sometimes I don't even know why I shoot what I do. But this one works for me...





Mindy and I had a great time at Leola's! Jan is just as sweet and wonderful in person as she is on her blog! Everything is for sale, so if you see something you like, get in touch with her. And I know Mindy will forgive me... Right?!

Pray for me!

Happy Birthday, Peanut!

Today is my daughter's birthday. Yes, my little Peanut turned sweet 16 today. We were at the DPS this morning when they opened at 8 am to get her driver's license. Alissa is a licensed driver now!

Here is a picture of her "driving" at one year old...




And here she is this morning...



Alissa, I probably don't tell you this often enough, but I am very, very proud of you. You are growing into a wonderful young lady right before my very eyes. Just remember that no matter how old you get, you will always be my Peanut! I love you! Happy birthday, baby!